Factors associated with good quality of life among chronic objective pulmonary disease patients in Zhejiang province, China

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic, progressive and debilitating disease that affects an individual's quality of life (QOL). Many factors are closely associated with good QOL among COPD patients. This study aimed to assess QOL among COPD patients and to determine the factors associated with good QOL in Zhejiang, China. Methods This was an analytical cross-sectional study conducted in 6 tertiary hospitals in Zhejiang Province. A validated questionnaire was used to collect general information, environmental factors, COPD stage and treatment for included patients. The standardised St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) tool was used to assess QOL. Questionnaires were completed by the researcher in face-to-face and phone interviews. Binary regression analysis was used to analyse the associations between factors and QOL at a level of α = 0.05. Results A total of 420 participants collected by random sampling were enrolled in this study. The level of good QOL among COPD patients in Zhejiang Province was 25.71%. After controlling for all potential confounding factors, six variables were found to be associated with good QOL among COPD patients: educational level (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 3.20 (1.11–9.22)), treatment expenses (aOR 3.68 (1.31–10.34)), type of medical insurance (aOR 2.21 (1.04–4.71)), airflow limitation severity (aOR 8.69 (2.65–28.46)), duration of illness (aOR 8.25 (1.98–34.29)), and number of hospitalizations within the past 3 months (aOR 5.39 (1.07–27.24)). Conclusions The level of good QOL among COPD patients in Zhejiang Province was higher than that in other areas in China. There were six factors associated with good QOL among COPD patients. Improving social insurance systems and reducing medical expenses are necessary to improve the QOL of COPD patients. Public health interventions should be developed and implemented to improve QOL.