Discussion
This study shows that specific dimensions of illness perceptions are associated with HRQoL in COPD patients
with mild to severe COPD (GOLD I-III) who receive
medical support from a primary care physician and a
practice nurse in primary care. COPD patients have better HRQoL when they experience fewer symptoms attributed to COPD (identity), experience less impact in
daily life (consequences), experience fewer emotional
consequences (emotional response), have stronger beliefs about control of their treatment and have a greater understanding of the disease (comprehensibility). When
corrected for dyspnoea, airflow limitation and comorbidity, identity, comprehensibility and dyspnoea
explained 56% of the variation in HRQoL (CCQ). Consequences, treatment control and dyspnoea explained 59% of the variation in HRQoL (the CRQ-SAS’s physical domain), and emotional response and dyspnoea explained 35% of the variance in HRQoL (the CRQ-SAS’s
emotional domain).