Disease knowledge and self-management behavior of COPD patients in China

This study aims to investigate the disease knowledge and self-management behavior of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the respiratory ward of a tertiary hospital in China, and analyze the relationship between these. A total of 360 COPD patients were surveyed using the internationally validated COPD Questionnaire (COPD-Q), the COPD Patients’ Self-Management Behavior Scale and a general sociodemographic questionnaire, and 346 valid responses were obtained. The results revealed that the surveyed COPD patients scored an average of 4.90 ± 2.50 points (maximal of 13 points) on the COPD-Q and 117.23 ± 20.56 points on the COPD Self-Management Behavior Scale, in which 86.1% of COPD patients were classified as having low to medium levels of self-management behavior. Pearson correlation analysis revealed that the total points on the COPD Self-Management Behavior Scale, symptom management, daily life management, emotional management and information management were all positively correlated to the disease knowledge of COPD (P < .01). In addition to COPD knowledge, the multiple regression analysis revealed that age, marital status and place of residence could also affect self-management behavior. The level of disease knowledge and self-management behaviors of patients with COPD is rather low in China. COPD knowledge level was found to correlate with the level of self-management behavior. Health education that enhances the disease knowledge of COPD patients might thereby be necessary to help improve self-management behavior.