| Learning Objective #1: Identify two correlates of increased comorbidity in the COPD population | |||
| Learning Objective #2: Identify three correlates of functional performance in the COPD population |
Method: The sample was recruited from a suburban pulmonary medicine practice (n = 119, 68.17 ± 8.48 years, 53.8% male, 99% Caucasian). FEV1 percent predicted was used as the measure of severity of pulmonary disease. The Comorbidity Questionnaire was used to measure concomitant chronic health problems. The Functional Performance Inventory-Short Form (FPI-SF) measured functional performance. The demographic and patient variables examined were overall health, home oxygen use, smoking history, age, gender, ethnicity and race, marital status, education, and employment.
Findings: FEV1 percent predicted was correlated to poorer overall health and home oxygen use (Kendall's tau-b = .159 and -.310, respectively), and to marital status (r = .255). Comorbidity was significantly correlated to poorer overall health (Kendall's tau-b = -.211), male gender (r = -.264), and marital status (r = .209). Functional performance was correlated to poorer overall health, use of home oxygen, smoking history, and education (Kendall's tau-b = .387, -.395, -.155, and .208, respectively), and to age and marital status (r = -.234 and -.211, respectively). Race, ethnicity, and employment were unrelated to the measures of physiologic status and functional performance. All correlations presented were significant at p < .05.
Conclusions: The relationships between home oxygen use, severity of pulmonary illness, and functional performance are not unexpected. Decreasing functional performance is common in the aging population. Although the self-report measure of overall health was significantly correlated to severity of pulmonary illness, comorbidity, and functional performance, it is not recommended as a proxy measure for any of the three variables. Being unmarried was correlated to greater comorbidity and worse functional performance.