Factors Influencing Disease Perception Among Elderly Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in China: A
Houmin Li1, Lijun Liu1, Chuchu Xu2
1Department of General Medicine, The Second People's Hospital of Hefei, Hefei Hospital Affiliated to Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230011, People's Republic of China.
Background:
Community-based management improve chronic disease outcomes, but their impact on disease perception and frailty in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients remains underexplored.
Objective:
To identify factors influencing disease perception in elderly COPD patients and assess the role of community-based management.
Methods:
In this cross-sectional study, 223 COPD patients aged ≥60 years (diagnosed per the 2021 Guidelines for Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) were randomly selected. Dyspnoea severity was graded via the mMRC scale; COPD severity incorporated spirometry (FEV1/FVC) and symptom burden (COPD Assessment Test). Participants completed the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ), Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI), and a general information survey. Differences between community-managed (n=81) and non-community-managed (n=142) groups were compared. Pearson's correlation and multivariate linear regression analyses identified predictors of disease perception.
Results:
Mean BIPQ score was 46.87±7.47 (moderate threat perception), and frailty score was 8.02±2.38. Disease perception positively correlated with total frailty and its subdomains (P<0.05). Community-managed patients had significantly lower BIPQ and TFI scores (P<0.05). Regression revealed disease duration (β=0.28), dyspnoea severity (β=0.22), and frailty (β=0.19) as positive predictors of disease perception; community management (β=-0.15) and older age (β=-0.12) were negative predictors (P<0.05). The model explained 46.0% of variance (R2=0.46, F=18.03, P<0.001).
Conclusion:
Elderly patients with COPD demonstrated strong links between disease perception and frailty. Community-based management considerably reduced these scores, indicating its potential to improve patient outcomes.
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