INVESTIGATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FUNCTIONAL PERFORMANCE, QUALITY OF LIFE AND RESPIRATORY PARAMETERS IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE (COPD)

Objective: This study was conducted in a descriptive manner in order to determine the functional performance and the quality of life of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and to demonstrate affecting factors socio-demographically and the relationship between respiratory parameters, functional performance and quality of life. Material and Method: The prospective research population consisted of 120 patients admitted to the COPD outpatient clinic of a university hospital. A standardized questionnaire form, the Functional Performance Inventory (FPI) and the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) were used for the collection of the data and later on respiratory function results were obtained. Results: The mean age of the patients was 45.6 +/- 11.2, mean FEV1 (%) was 57.5 +/- 21.4. Total FPI score was 1.37 +/- 0.39 points, and the total SGRQ was 22.2 +/- 11.7 points. Both values indicated a good level of performance. Patients with COPD obtained the highest scores from the recreation - hobbies category of the FPI and the impacts category of the SGRQ. FPI scores were higher in patients between 35-44 years of age, in male patients, in patients employed as civil servants, in patients to have Stage-I and in obese patients and the difference between the groups was found to be statistically significant (p<0.05). There was also a weak correlation between FEV1(%), FEV1/FVC (%) and total FPI. The quality of life scores of those patients who did have Stage-I were high and the difference between the groups was found to be statistically significant (p<0.05). Conclusion: The results of the present study indicate that the functional performances and quality of life levels of patients with COPD are good. Patient characteristics such as age, gender; profession, illness phases and body mass index and values of FEV1(%), FEV1/FVC (%) were shown to affect the functional performances and illness phases were shown to affect the level of life quality in patients with COPD.