Gender differences in health-related quality of life of Korean patients with chronic obstructive lung disease.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to identify the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of COPD patients over 40 years of age in Korea and to assess the relevance of gender differences. Original data from KNHANES (Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) were analyzed using SAS 9.3 software. The sample comprised 556 male and 195 female COPD patients. Selected demographic variables, HRQOL [EuroQol 5-Dimension], physical and psychological characteristics, and health-related characteristics were examined. The results showed that the HRQOL of COPD patients was better for females than for males, and that the HRQOL among males differed with the education, economic activity, economic level, blood pressure, suicidal ideation, and physical activity, while among females it differed with age, living status, education, economic activity, economic level, blood pressure, stress recognition, suicidal ideation, alcohol use, and physical activity. Further analysis verified that for males, the education, suicidal ideation, and physical activity were factors that affected HRQOL (R(2) = 0.139, p < .001), while for females these factors were the education, obesity, and suicidal ideation (R(2) = 0.340, p < .001). Effective-health promoting interventions for COPD patients require the development of individualized programs that take into account gender-related factors that can enhance HRQOL.