Factors Relates to Quality of Life among Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Literature Review

Abstract

Introduction: This literature review synthesized quality of life (QOL) factors and studied instruments used to measure QOL among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Data was gathered from electronic databases, including Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL Plus) with full text, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and Thai Journals Online (ThaiJO) between 2015 and 2025. Seven full research articles were selected that met Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) inclusion criteria. The results indicated that the factors related to quality of life in COPD patient were categorized into eight domains, including: 1)functional ability; 2)medication adherence; 3)health status; 4)sociodemographics; 5)treatment and medication; 6)disease severity and comorbidities; 7)treatment history;  and 8)duration of COPD. Conversely, four domains demonstrated QOL obstacles: 1)functional capacity and performance; 2)self-management and health behaviors; 3)symptom experience and feelings; and 4)disease severity and comorbidities. Conclusion: These findings indicated that factors strongly related to QOL comprised symptom burden and functional performance, which may be useful for predictive research. In contrast, insomnia, health literacy, social support, and insomnia management effectiveness had weaker, more ambiguous relationships. To investigate specific characteristics in study populations, the St. George Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ-C) offers versatile QOL assessment across diverse age groups, languages, and conceptual frameworks.