HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE AND SLEEP QUALITY AMONG COPD PATENTS IN MALAYSIA

Abstract

In Malaysia, chronic respiratory disease including COPD is responsible for 7% of the total Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs). Sleep disturbance in COPD patients is often underestimated and overlooked clinically. Respiratory symptoms caused by COPD often leads to poor sleep quality and insomnia. Poor sleep quality contributes to frequent episodes of exacerbation which directly increases mortality risk. This study aims to determine health-related quality of life and sleep quality among COPD patients and their associations with severity. In this cross-sectional study, 102 COPD patients classified according to Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease were evaluated. EQ5D and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaires were used to assess health-related quality of life and sleep quality respectively. Results showed the severity of COPD is significantly associated (p<0.05) with all 5 dimensions of EQ5D among COPD patients in Kuala Lumpur. In this study, 71 patients (69.9%) were reported to be poor sleepers (PSQI>5) with a mean g l o b a l score of 6.93 ± 4.072. Sleep quality was also found to be significantly associated (p <0.05) with COPD severity, in which patients with lower severity showed better sleep quality. In this study, COPD severity was found to be significantly associated with health-related quality of life. As the disease severity progresses, both quality of life and sleep quality worsens gradually. Findings from this study highlight the importance to consider the quality of life and sleep quality as part of the management plan for COPD patients.