Evaluation of Risk Factors for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in the Middle-Aged and Elderly Rural Population of Northeast China Using Logistic Regression and Principal Component Analysis

PURPOSE: To investigate the environmental, immune, and inflammatory factors associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in middle-aged and older Chinese individuals. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A community-based case–control study was conducted among 471 patients with COPD and 485 controls. The information on COPD of the participants was collected through face-to-face interviews, and serum samples were measured at the laboratory. The main risk factors for COPD were analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA) and logistic regression. RESULTS: Nine hundred and fifty-six respondents were included in the analysis. The results of the PCA-logistic regression analysis showed significant differences in the environmental factors, medical history, and serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels between patients and controls. COPD was markedly more usual in those with smoking index >200 (OR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.28–1.57); exposure to outdoor straw burning (OR, 1.64; 95% CI, 1.47–1.83); use of coal, wood, and straw indoors (OR, 2.31; 95% CI, 1.92–2.78); history of respiratory disease and coronary heart disease (OR, 3.58; 95% CI, 3.12–4.10), congestive heart failure (OR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.09–1.38), and cerebrovascular disease (OR, 1.15; 95% CI,1.02–1.31); and higher serum level of CRP (OR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.11–1.30). Compared to the logistic regression analysis, PCA logistic regression analysis identified more important risk factors for COPD. CONCLUSION: PCA-logistic regression analysis was first utilized to explore the influencing factors among rural residents in Northeast China Environmental aged 40 years and above, it was found that environmental factors, medical history, and serum CRP levels mainly affected the prevalence of COPD.