Purpose: To investigate the gender difference in knowledge, attitude, and practice of COPD diagnosis and treatment in China.
Patients and methods: A nationwide, multicenter, cross-sectional questionnaire study was carried out to investigate patients’ understanding and experience of COPD between September 2007 and December 2008.
Results: Two thousand and seventy-two patients were recruited from eleven centers. The final effective questionnaires were those of 1,698 cases, of which 32% were female. Women were younger, had higher body mass index, were more never smokers, and had lesser pack-years (all P <0.01). More women had under elementary education level and monthly income <1,000 RMB (about 160 USD) (all P <0.01). Women had higher ratio of FEV₁/FVC (54.1±10.9 vs 50.2±11.5), FEV₁% (50.0±19.1 vs 45.4±29.0), and lower short form-36 mental component summary (57.5±26.8 vs 61.3±25.0) (all P <0.01). Fewer women reported severe exacerbation (defined as an acute worsening of respiratory symptoms that results in patient’s hospitalization) in the previous year (44.5% vs 51.6%, P <0.05). More women reported that they never heard of COPD before (67.0% vs 59.0%, P <0.01). Less women reported that physician had to tell them they had emphysema (50.5% vs 60.4%) or COPD (31.9% vs 37.9%). Less women had pulmonary function test (PFT) done before (65.2% vs 70.4%, P <0.05). More women reported that they would not repeat PFT annually (91.7% vs 87.6%, P <0.05) and did not know the PFT results (78.6% vs 73.1%, P <0.05). More women reported not having had pulmonary rehabilitation before (87.8% vs 83.6%, P <0.05). Fewer women reported knowing that COPD should be given combined therapy (38.3% vs 44.5%) and long-term treatment (46.1% vs 51.9%) (all P <0.05).
Conclusion: Male and female patients had different experiences on COPD diagnosis and treatment. Physicians should pay more attention to patients’ education on COPD, especially of women.
Keywords: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, sex, perception, experience, education, management