Association Between Sleep Quality and Pain Intensity in Mild Patients with COPD: A Community Study

Poor sleep quality and pain were common and had been proved as an important influenced factor of quality of life for patients with COPD. The association of sleep quality with pain has been observed in other population but remains unclear in mild patients with COPD from a community setting.

A cross-sectional study was conducted to include eligible mild patients with COPD in Pudong New District of Shanghai. A structured questionnaire was used to collect general and clinical information for the patients. The Chinese version of Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the short form of McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ) was used to assess sleep quality and intensity of pain. Logistic regression was performed to test the association between sleeping quality and pain intensity.

Two hundred and sixty-four patients with COPD, with an average age of 64 years (SD 5.78 years), were enrolled, and of 52% were women. Seventy-one (26.9%) participants reported at least one exacerbation during the past year. About 28.2% of the patients were classified as having poor sleep quality. Sleep quality was significantly associated with PRI score (adjusted odds ratio (ORad)=2.16, 95% CI: 1.16-4.00) and PPI rank (ORad=1.90, 95% CI: 1.08-3.34). People with daytime disturbance were more likely to have pain (ORad =2.03, 95% CI: 1.18-3.50).

Poor sleep quality was common in mild patients with COPD in community and was associated with higher pain intensity. Pain may involve an impairment of sleep quality.