Resilience Factors Important in Health-Related Quality of Life of Subjects With COPD

Common among patients with COPD is declining health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Although results of research identified some factors associated with HRQOL, resilience factors are yet to be fully investigated.

This study examined resilience and demographic factors associated with HRQOL. Participants >40 y old were recruited from community health programs and hospitals in South East Queensland. Self-administered questionnaires were used to query subjects' HRQOL and levels of resilience. A decision tree examined the factors important to HRQOL in 159 subjects with COPD.

Factors of importance in the HRQOL of subjects with COPD were found in 3 domains of the St George Respiratory Questionnaire. Of importance on the breathlessness domain was marital status, defensive coping, coping, number of comorbidities, relationships, decision-making, self-esteem, self-efficacy, and professional support of health and well-being. Of the symptoms domain, self-efficacy, recruitment location, anxiety/depression, decision-making, self-esteem, coping, relationships, professional support of health and well-being, and risks were important. The cough domain found recruitment location, anxiety/depression, professional support of health and well-being, coping, and defensive coping to be important for subjects' HRQOL.

Resilience and confounding factors were of importance in the HRQOL of subjects with COPD. Thus, consultation with a medical professional, especially at discharge, who identifies, encourages, and approves of the patient's disease management abilities will enhance both resilience and HRQOL.