Assessment of lung health information needs among patients with chronic respiratory diseases attending in a Nigerian tertiary health facility

Chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) are highly prevalent and contribute to substantial morbidity and mortality rates. The use of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is advocated for these patients. However, PR uptake is low and PR services are often unavailable due to several factors. Efforts to establish PR services are gaining grounds. Unfortunately, factors such as insufficient awareness of the information needs among potential patients may impede these efforts. This study assessed the lung health information needs of 123 (45 males) patients with CRDs attending a Nigerian tertiary hospital using the Lung Information Needs Questionnaire (LINQ), which aims to gather information about patients' knowledge of lung disease, nutrition, smoking, self-management and physical activity. Findings indicated that mean age of the participants was 55 years, many (46.3%) without formal education. Majority (70%) of them reported knowing the name of their lung disease. However, most of them had no knowledge of the long-term consequences of their lung disease. Most of them reported satisfactory information on medication administration and use. Self-management strategies were understood by less than half of the respondents, mainly because they were told verbally. Majority (90%) of the respondents never smoked. About half of them had knowledge of the role of physical activity (PA), and very few were physically active. Most of the participants reported not receiving information on dietary advice. In conclusion, patients with CRDs in our center lack lung health information maonly in the areas of nutrition, physical activity and self-management.