Dyspnea, Health Status and Quality of Life in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Aged under 65 Years

Abstract Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) impairs quality of life due to its high symptom burden, particularly dyspnea. The impacts of COPD on the health status and quality of life in patients aged under 65 years have been poorly investigated. Objectives: This is a study aimed at identifying the factors influencing dyspnea, health status, and quality of life and the correlation of these parameters with COPD patients aged under 65 years. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in chest disease outpatient and medical inpatient units of a university hospital in Ankara. A total of 112 patients with COPD were included with the convenience sampling methods in the study. Data were collected using the patient information form, Dyspnea -12 Scale, COPD Assessment Test (CAT), and St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ). The data were analyzed using frequencies, percentages, median, interquartile range, Mann Whitney U test, and Spearman’s rho correlation. Results: The median scores of the scales were Dyspnea 12 scale 26.0, CAT score 29.0., SGRQ 69.5, respectively. The scores on Dyspnea 12 Scale and the CAT were significantly higher in patients with older age, women, primary school graduates, those whose income is less than their expenses (p<0.05). However, the SGRQ scores did not differ in terms of age, gender, and marital status (p>0.05). Dyspnea severity, health status, and quality of life were worse in patients diagnosed with an advanced stage of COPD, and in those with high smoking pack-years and a high number of acute exacerbations and co-morbid diseases (p<0.05). Besides, significantly positive correlations were detected between the Dyspnea 12 Scale, CAT, and SGRQ, and SGRQ and CAT scores (p<0.001). Conclusion: With an increase in smoking pack-years, and acute exacerbations, the progression in COPD augments dyspnea and negatively impacts health status and quality of life in COPD patients under 65 years. An increase in the severity of dyspnea deteriorated health status and quality of life. As health status worsened, quality of life decreased. This result shows that quitting smoking and managing dyspnea and exacerbations can improve the health status and quality of life of COPD patients. [Ethiop. J. Health Dev. 2025; 39(1)] Keywords: Dyspnea, nursing, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, health status, quality of life