Self-Care, Symptom Experience, and Health-Related Quality of Life by COPD Severity.
- Author:
Gui Jung KANG
1
;
Myung Hee KIM
;
Sun Kyung HWANG
Author Information
1. Internal Medicine Respiratory Care Ward, Dong-A Medical Center, Korea.
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD);
Self care;
Quality of life
- MeSH:
Humans;
Lung;
Medical Records;
Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive;
Pulmonary Medicine;
Quality of Life;
Self Care
- From:Journal of Korean Academy of Adult Nursing
2008;20(1):163-175
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
PURPOSE: This study aimed to define the relationship among self-care, symptom experiences, and health-related quality of life(HRQoL) according to the severity of disease in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD) patients. METHODS: The participants, 195 COPD patients, were recruited at a pulmonology clinic of a universityaffiliated medical center in B metropolitan city. Inclusion criteria were patients who were diagnosed as COPD and had less than 0.7 of FEV1/FVC(Forced Expiratory Volume for 1 second/Forced Vital Capacity) ratio. The severity was classified with GOLD(Global initiative for Obstructive Lung Disease) stages, FEV1% predicted value from mild to very severe. The data were gathered by the medical records and self-reported questionnaires. RESULTS: The self-care, symptom experience, and HRQoL were all significantly different by COPD severity based on pulmonary function(p<.05). There were significant moderate negative relationships between symptom experiences and self-care(r=-.54, p<.001) and between symptom experiences and HRQoL(r=-.64, p<.001). There was a moderate positive correlation between self-care and HRQoL(r=.63, p<.001). CONCLUSION: It suggests that the assessment of disease severity based on pulmonary function and subjective symptom experience in patients with COPD may be a key component to develop a tailored self-management program and to improve their quality of life.
