Unmet Needs of Patients with Chronic Respiratory Diseases Within Primary Healthcare.

There is no data on the level of unmet needs in the heterogenic group of chronically ill patients. The purpose of this study was to define the degree of unmet needs in patients with chronic respiratory diseases and to identify the factors that determine them. The study group consisted of 214 adult patients with the median age of 65 (min-max: 18-90 years). Variables affecting the level of satisfied needs were the following: gender, age, marital status, place of residence, number of chronic diseases, somatic symptoms, level of disease acceptance, level of quality of life (QoL), and health behaviors. The prevention program to increase the level of satisfied needs in patients with chronic respiratory diseases, apart from obviously being addressed to those with low levels of health satisfaction and quality of life indices, should be addressed to men, the elderly, those having no partner, living in the countryside, and having multiple somatic symptoms. Patients with a high level of disease acceptance, those maintaining physical quality of life and advantageous health behaviors should be considered as well.

Health behaviors and quality of life among patients with chronic respiratory disease.

The purpose of this study was to analyze health behaviors of patients with chronic respiratory disease and the correlations between health behaviors (HB) and quality of life (QoL). The study involved 256 adult patients (135 women and 121 men), mean age was 62.6 ± 16.1 years, with chronic respiratory disease. The research tools consisted of the Health Behavior Inventory (HBI) and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument Short Form. The mean general score for HB was 85.6 ± 17.8. Most patients (74 persons) obtained high scores (7-10 stens). The strongest correlations between QoL and HB were as follows: Psychological Domain correlated with positive mental attitude (r = 0.308, p < 0.001), healthy eating habits (r = 0.224, p = 0.001), and with the level of health behaviors (r = 0.222, p = 0.003); Social Relationship Domain correlated with positive mental attitude (r = 0.282, p < 0.001) and healthy eating habits (r = 0.238, p < 0.001). We conclude that QoL in patients with chronic respiratory diseases is significantly shaped by their health behaviors.