What determines subjective health status in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: importance of symptoms in subjective health status of COPD patients
2008

Understanding Health Status in COPD Patients

Sample size: 100 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Bentsen Signe Berit, H Henriksen Anne Hildur, Wentzel-Larsen Tore, Hanestad Berit Rokne, Wahl Astrid Klopstad

Primary Institution: Stord/Haugesund University College, Department of Nursing Education, Haugesund, Norway

Hypothesis

What determines subjective health status in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)?

Conclusion

Symptoms are more important for the subjective health status of patients with COPD than demographics, physiological variables, or physical function.

Supporting Evidence

  • Older patients reported less breathlessness.
  • Women reported more anxiety.
  • Symptoms explained the greatest variance in subjective health status (35%-51%).
  • Patients with higher predicted FEV1% reported better health.
  • Greater depression was associated with lower physical function.

Takeaway

This study found that how COPD patients feel about their health is mostly affected by their symptoms, not just their age or lung function.

Methodology

Cross-sectional design with 100 COPD patients assessed for lung function, symptoms, and subjective health status using various questionnaires.

Potential Biases

Potential bias due to the sample being drawn from patients awaiting rehabilitation, which may not reflect the broader COPD population.

Limitations

The sample size was small and not representative of all COPD patients, and the cross-sectional design limits causal conclusions.

Participant Demographics

51% men, mean age 66.1 years.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.05

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1477-7525-6-115

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