학술논문
Associations in Perceived Health and Persistent Breathlessness: A Cross-Sectional Study
Document Type
Source
Palliative Medicine Reports EpiHealth: Epidemiology for Health. 4(1):120-126
Subject
Language
English
ISSN
2689-2820
Abstract
Background: Persistent breathlessness is debilitating and increases in prevalence with advanced age and at end of life. This study aimed to evaluate any relationship between self-reported global impressions of change (GIC) in perceived health and breathlessness in older men.Design: Cross-sectional study of 73-year-old Swedish men in the VAScular and Chronic Obstructive Lung disease study. A postal survey included items on perceived changes in health and breathlessness (GIC scales) and breathlessness (assessed using the modified Medical Research Council [mMRC] breathlessness scale, Dyspnea-12 and Multidimensional Dyspnea Scale) since age 65.Results: Of 801 respondents, breathlessness (mMRC ≥2) was reported by 17.9%, worsening breathlessness by 29.1%, and worsening perceived health by 51.3%. Worsening breathlessness was strongly correlated with worsening perceived health (Pearson's correlation coefficient of 0.68 [p Conclusion: The strong correlation between perceived changes in health and persistent breathlessness helps delineate a more comprehensive picture of the challenges faced by older adults living with this disabling symptom.