Quality of Life of Older People Living with COPD in Nepal

Background: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is one of the most common chronic health conditions in older people and is increasingly becoming a major public health concern. Objectives: The study aims to assess the quality of life among older patients living with COPD. Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted from February 2017 to July 2018 in a tertiary care hospital in Kavre, Nepal. A total of 220 patients aged 60 years and above were the respondents. Quality of Life (QOL) of participants was assessed through a widely used shorter version of ST George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ-C). The mean and Pearson correlation coefficients were used while analysing the data. Results: The mean total score for all domains of QOL was 68.57 (SD=18.66). The mean QOL scores for symptom, activity, and impact domains were 70.51 (SD=±22.37), 68.12 (SD=±23.42), and 68.19 (SD=±20.32) respectively, which suggested marked impairments in QOL in all SGRQ-C domains. The factors significantly related to the overall QOL of COPD patients in this study were: gender, education, type of family, and economic status. Conclusion: Nepalese older patients with COPD had poor quality of life. Older patients with COPD had an impaired QOL in all three components of symptom, activity, and impact domains. There should be some initiation on how the QOL of older patients with COPD can be improved.