Assessment of respiration-related quality of life of Chinese patients with silicosis and its influencing factors using the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ)

Aims and objectives: The aims are to assess respiration-related quality of life using the St. George Respiratory Questionnaire and determine its influencing factors among patients with silicosis in China.

Background: The incidence of silicosis had an increasing trend in recent years in developing countries. Although the majority of patients with silicosis are in therapy routinely, the patients' quality of life has been impaired because silicosis cannot be cured. The study on quality of life of patients with silicosis is few, and clinical physicians have difficulty in planning to promote quality of life of patients with silicosis according to the current health situation.

Design: A cross-sectional design was used for this study.

Methods: A survey was performed on patients with silicosis by face-to-face interview in the Shenyang No. 9 Hospital in China. The St. George Respiratory Questionnaire was used to assess respiration-related quality of life.

Results: In all 208 enrolled patients with silicosis, symptoms, activity and impacts scores were 56·02, 56·46 and 52·33, respectively. Lower impacts scores were found comparing with symptoms and activity ones. Patient age was associated with an expected decrease in respiration-related quality of life. Patients with longer duration of exposure had higher total scores of the St. George Respiratory Questionnaire, indicating worse quality of life. Patients with more co-morbidities reported worse quality of life.

Conclusion: Patients with silicosis were found relatively moderate respiration-related quality of life. Shortening dust exposure, decreasing the number of co-morbidity and controlling the occurrence of pulmonary tuberculosis could improve respiration-related quality of life.

Relevance to clinical practice: As indicated by the results of this study, the number of co-morbidity negatively impact the quality of life of patients with silicosis. Clinical physicians and nurses should pay close attention to the co-morbidity to promote quality of life of patients with silicosis according to the current health situation.