Health Behaviors and Quality of Life Among Patients with Chronic Respiratory Disease

The purpose of this study was to analyze health behaviors of patients with chronic respiratory disease and the correlations between health behaviors (HB) and quality of life (QoL). The study involved 256 adult patients (135 women and 121 men), mean age was 62.6 +/- 16.1 years, with chronic respiratory disease. The research tools consisted of the Health Behavior Inventory (HBI) and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument Short Form. The mean general score for HB was 85.6 +/- 17.8. Most patients (74 persons) obtained high scores (7-10 stens). The strongest correlations between QoL and HB were as follows: Psychological Domain correlated with positive mental attitude (r - 0.308, p < 0.001), healthy eating habits (r = 0.224, p = 0.001), and with the level of health behaviors (r = 0.222, p = 0.003); Social Relationship Domain correlated with positive mental attitude (r - 0.282, p < 0.001) and healthy eating habits (r = 0.238, p < 0.001). We conclude that QoL in patients with chronic respiratory diseases is significantly shaped by their health behaviors.