Factors influencing health-related quality of life in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: insights from the Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease Study in Fez, Morocco

The respiratory symptoms experienced by patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are a burden on daily life. The objective of this study was to measure health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and comprehensively identify its associated factors in Moroccan COPD patients. A cross-sectional, randomized study was carried out in the city of Fez, Morocco, as part of the large multicenter Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease Study on people with COPD. Data collection was carried out using a questionnaire containing sociodemographic, clinical, and quality-of-life data. The diagnosis of COPD was based on spirometry, and quality of life (QoL) was measured by the Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) questionnaire. Using multiple linear regression, we assessed the relationship between several sociodemographic and clinical factors and SF-12 mental and physical quality-of-life scores. A total of 107 patients were included, with a male predominance (63.6%), and the most common age category being 60 years and older (51.4%). Additionally, 46.7% of participants were classified as Global Initiative for Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) stage 1. The mean SF-12 mental component score was 41.32±9.18, and the mean SF-12 physical component score was 41.91±11.93. Multivariate analysis revealed that a greater mental HRQoL was associated with the male gender, a body mass index of 25 or higher, and GOLD stage 1, while a greater physical HRQoL was associated with the male gender, an age less than 60 years, absence of respiratory comorbidities, and GOLD stage 1. Our results show low scores of the mental and physical components of HRQoL in COPD patients in Morocco, suggesting the implementation of measures to first reduce the prevalence of the disease and then adopt an appropriate COPD management strategy to improve those people's QoL.