Impact of Pulmonary Rehabilitation on Quality-of-life Metrics in Patients with Chronic Respiratory Diseases: A Comparative Analysis of SF-36, SGRQ, and SOBQ Outcomes

Background Chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) significantly impact patients’ quality-of-life (QoL), necessitating effective interventions for symptom management and functional improvement. Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) has emerged as a potential therapeutic approach; yet, comprehensive analyses comparing multiple QoL metrics remain limited. This study evaluated the effectiveness of PR by analyzing three validated assessment tools: the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), St. George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), and the University of California, San Diego Shortness of Breath Questionnaire (USCD-SOBQ). Materials and Methods A prospective study was conducted with 115 patients diagnosed with chronic respiratory conditions, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (40%), interstitial lung disease (ILD) (34.78%), and asthma (25.22%). The study population predominantly comprised females (77.39%) with a mean age of 53.83 ± 10.2 years. QoL was assessed using SF-36, SGRQ, and Shortness of Breath Questionnaire (SOBQ) measures before and after PR. Statistical analysis included Wilcoxon signed-rank tests for pre-post comparisons and correlation analyses between different measurement tools. Results Significant improvements were observed across multiple QoL metrics post-rehabilitation. SGRQ scores showed substantial improvements across all domains ( p < .001), with total scores decreasing from a median of 92 (IQR ± 14) to 63 (IQR ± 57). SF-36 demonstrated significant enhancements ( p < .002), particularly in physical functioning (from 13 ± 9 to 20 ± 12) and role physical domains. SOBQ scores improved significantly from 79 ± 25 to 67 ± 36 ( p < .001). Strong correlations were observed between all three assessment tools (ρ = 0.62–0.66, p < .001), validating their concurrent utility in measuring rehabilitation outcomes. Conclusion This study demonstrates that PR significantly improves the QoL in patients with CRDs across multiple validated assessment measures. The strong correlations between the SF-36, SGRQ, and SOBQ suggest these tools provide complementary insights into rehabilitation outcomes. These findings support the effectiveness of PR programs and validate the use of multiple assessment tools in monitoring patient progress.