Table 2.
Self-reported patient characteristics by mMRC Dyspnea scale category
| Characteristics | Low mMRC symptomatology (grades 0–1) (n=437) | High mMRC symptomatology (grades 2–4) (n=236) | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sex, n (%) | |||
| Male | 190 (43.5) | 94 (39.8) | 0.361 |
| Female | 247 (56.5) | 142 (60.2) | |
| Age at survey (year), mean (SD) | 58.8 (8.1) | 58.9 (8.6) | 0.850 |
| Age at COPD diagnosis (year), mean (SD) | 55.2 (8.7) | 52.4 (9.5) | 0.001 |
| Years since COPD diagnosis, mean (SD) | 5.0 (5.4) | 7.1 (7.7) | 0.001 |
| Told by physician that they had COPD, n (%) | 305 (69.8) | 208 (88.1) | <0.0001 |
| BMI (kg/m2), n (%) | |||
| Obese (BMI >29.9) | 156 (35.7) | 114 (48.3) | |
| Overweight (BMI 25.0–29.9) | 145 (33.2) | 54 (22.9) | 0.003 |
| Normal/underweight (BMI <25.0) | 136 (31.1) | 68 (28.8) | |
| Combined race/ethnicity, n (%) | |||
| White/Caucasian | 395 (90.4) | 212 (89.8) | 0.647 |
| Other | 42 (9.6) | 24 (10.2) | |
| Educational status, n (%) | |||
| High school or less | 186 (42.6) | 115 (48.7) | 0.145 |
| Some college, but no degree | 83 (19.0) | 48 (20.3) | |
| Two-year degree or over | 168 (38.4) | 73 (30.9) | |
| Employment status, n (%) | |||
| Employed full time | 238 (54.5) | 76 (32.2) | <0.0001 |
| Employed part time | 55 (12.6) | 18 (7.6) | |
| Not working | 144 (33.0) | 142 (60.2) | |
| 2010 household income, n (%) | |||
| <$50,000 | 234 (53.6) | 145 (61.4) | 0.012 |
| $50,000–$99,999 | 152 (34.8) | 79 (33.5) | |
| $$100,000 | 51 (11.7) | 12 (5.1) | |
| Smoking status, n (%) | |||
| Current smoker | 163 (37.3) | 88 (37.3) | 0.471 |
| Former smoker | 216 (49.4) | 124 (52.5) | |
| Never smoked | 58 (13.3) | 24 (10.2) | |
| Conditions, n (%) | |||
| Hypercholesterolemia | 214 (49.0) | 125 (53.0) | 0.323 |
| Hypertension | 217 (49.7) | 133 (56.4) | 0.097 |
| Diabetes | 81 (18.5) | 56 (23.7) | 0.110 |
| Peripheral vascular disease | 49 (11.2) | 65 (27.5) | <0.0001 |
| Heart attack | 47 (10.8) | 37 (15.7) | 0.065 |
| Stroke | 28 (6.4) | 21 (8.9) | 0.235 |
| Diabetes complications | 19 (4.4) | 20 (8.5) | 0.029 |
| Hardening of the arteries | 27 (6.2) | 16 (6.8) | 0.231 |
| Spirometry, n (%) | |||
| Spirometry test in the 6 months prior to the survey | 172 (39.4) | 105 (44.5) | 0.342 |
Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; mMRC, modified Medical Research Council; SD, standard deviation.