Table 1.
Demographic and Clinical Characteristics of Respondents to 2007 National Emphysema/COPD Association Survey with a Diagnosis of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
| Characteristic | Males with COPD n=273 | Females with COPD n=295 | p value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demographics | |||
| Mean (SD) age at time of survey (years) | 73.1 (8.3) | 70.1 (10.2) | <0.001 |
| Mean (SD) age at first symptoms (years) | 62.4 (12.0) | 59.3 (14.3) | 0.009 |
| Mean (SD) age at diagnosis (years) | 62.0 (10.1) | 59.4 (12.7) | 0.009 |
| Annual income <$30,000 (%) | 44.2 | 59.9 | <0.001 |
| Self-described as white (%) | 96.0 | 96.6 | 0.84 |
| Education beyond high school (%) | 63.2 | 52.2 | 0.01 |
| Symptom frequency (%) | |||
| Shortness of breath | 85.0 | 85.1 | 0.97 |
| Cough | 56.8 | 51.2 | 0.18 |
| Phlegm | 61.9 | 47.1 | <0.001 |
| Any nocturnal symptom | 29.3 | 30.5 | 0.75 |
| Comorbid diseases (%) | |||
| Heart disease | 32.0 | 21.4 | 0.004 |
| Anxiety | 12.9 | 24.4 | <0.001 |
| Depression | 15.8 | 24.1 | 0.01 |
| Obesity | 9.9 | 17.0 | 0.01 |
| Osteoporosis | 7.0 | 36.3 | <0.001 |
| Arthritis | 33.5 | 40.3 | 0.09 |
| Diabetes | 21.0 | 17.0 | 0.22 |
| Hypertension | 45.2 | 46.8 | 0.71 |
| Migraine | 1.5 | 5.4 | 0.01 |
| Sleep disorder | 16.2 | 16.6 | 0.88 |
| Self-rated health and limitations (%) | |||
| Self-rated poor or very poor health | 22.0 | 18.6 | 0.31 |
| Severe or very severe symptoms | 40.7 | 33.1 | 0.07 |
| Severe dyspnea (MRC dyspnea score 3–4) | 26.5 | 24.6 | 0.60 |
| Symptoms keep me from work | 30.4 | 25.8 | 0.21 |
| Symptoms limit amount of work | 51.7 | 44.1 | 0.07 |
| Mean score LCOPD questionnaire | 9.9 (6.1) | 9.7 (6.0) | 0.81 |
| Exacerbations last year (%) | |||
| At least one with hospital admission | 28.6 | 26.1 | 0.51 |
| At least one with emergency room visit | 24.5 | 26.4 | 0.60 |
| COPD management and medications (%) | |||
| Ever had spirometry | 97.4 | 96.6 | 0.56 |
| Oxygen use | 62.8 | 61.8 | 0.80 |
| Continuous oral steroids | 18.4 | 14.1 | 0.15 |
| Steroids during exacerbations | 25.3 | 34.4 | 0.02 |
| Use oxygen as much as prescribed | 78.4 | 83.8 | 0.20 |
| Very compliant with medications | 85.1 | 84.7 | 0.89 |
| Very persistent with medications | 95.5 | 94.1 | 0.45 |
| Has ever stopped COPD medications | 23.8 | 25.3 | 0.68 |
| Prefers dry-powdered inhalers | 62.3 | 54.6 | 0.06 |
| Prefers metered dose inhalers | 57.5 | 54.2 | 0.48 |
| Believes medications are effective | 91.2 | 90.6 | 0.46 |
COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; LCOPD, Living with COPD; MRC, Medical Research Council; SD, standard deviation.