Quality of Life of Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Attending Two Academic Hospitals in Johannesburg, South Africa

Abstract

There has been an increase in non-communicable diseases (NCDs) research over the past decade, which indicates that NCDs are slowly reaching epidemic levels. Amongst the NCDs, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has been identified as a major medical and social problem worldwide. NCDs are associated with an increased burden on healthcare manifested in patients’ poor quality of life(QOL). It is a culmination of NCDs and in particular, COPD on the physical and social effects of the disease on patients with COPD. Studies have established that measuring QOL is an effective and reliable means of quantifying the impact of COPD on patients’ livelihoods and the subsequent effects on the healthcare system. The study aimed to assess the QOL of COPD patients in two academic hospitals in Johannesburg, South Africa. The study employed a sequential exploratory mixed methods design that comprised quantitative and qualitative methods. The Saint George Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), COPD assessment tool, and the World Health Organization quality of life scale (WHOQOL- BREF 26 )tool were used to assess the health-related and non-health-related quality of life. Non-parametric tests were employed to test for differences in the sample and post hoc analysis. The HRQL of patients in our study was, on average, 59%, while the non-health-related quality of life was 53.65%. The majority of patients resided in the South of Johannesburg, constituting the largest proportion (27.51). About 43% of the patients in our sample were within the elderly age group, mostly male and African (49%). COVID-19, TB, and HIV/AIDS were some of the diseases comorbid with COPD in the study sample and were noted as risk factors for COPD. In addition, demographic factors such as older age, ethnicity, and education level were also reported as risk factors for patients in this study. There were significant differences in patients' non-health-related quality of life in the different age groups and education levels. it is recommended that non-clinical personnel, such as administrative staff, be incorporated into dedicated COPD clinics in academic hospitals to alleviate the burden on clinical staff. Future research should focus on studying the relationship between COPD and communicable diseases and how they affect each other to help tailor treatment regimens for patients grappling with comorbidity.