Abstract
Objectives: People with chronic obstructive lung diseases often experience a variety of symptoms. Few studies, however, have described these symptoms in detail. This study sought to examine concurrent symptoms, symptom clusters, and the effects of symptoms on functioning in Korean immigrants with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods: Outpatients with asthma or COPD participated in this cross-sectional, correlational study. Symptoms, dyspnea, mood, and functional performance were assessed with questionnaires. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. Results: The most frequently reported symptom was shortness of breath. Three factors emerged from 16 symptoms. Age, mean severity score of 7 symptoms, working status, level of acculturation, and level of education explained significant variance in functional performance. Conclusion: The symptom cluster, consisting of 7 symptoms, showed the greatest effect on levels of functioning, which emphasizes the importance of assessment for coexisting symptoms in populations with these diseases.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 226-237 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | Heart and Lung: Journal of Acute and Critical Care |
| Volume | 41 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2012 May |
| Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:S.K.P. is a T32 Postdoctoral Fellow, supported by a Health Promotion/Risk Reduction Interventions with Vulnerable Populations Training Grant. This study was funded by Century Club Award and Graduate Student Research Award from University of California, San Francisco, and Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society of Nursing Research Award.
Keywords
- Asthma
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- Functioning
- Korean immigrants
- Symptoms
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine
- Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine
- Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine