| Keywords |
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ; Elderly ; Risk factor |
| Abstract |
The aim of this study was to examine risk factors in older adults with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease(COPD) in Korea. A total of 459 of community-dwelling older adults over the age of 65 years were drawn from a study of the fourth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES IV-1). The original study was a population-based epidemiologic survey of COPD using spirometry. COPD was assessed by the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) criteria. Comparison between the COPD and healthy control was done by t-test and χ2 test. Logistic regression was used to determine the risk factors for COPD. 163 older adults out of 459 (35.5%) were defined COPD based on the pulmonary function test. Significant differences in the age, gender, region, number of generations living together, number of chronic diseases, body mass index (BMI), lifetime smoking history, smoking status, drinking frequency, and drinking quantity were observed between the normal and COPD groups. The subjects' age, gender, region, number of chronic disease, lifetime smoking history, and smoking status were found to be the main risk factors for COPD. It is essential to identify the elderly with a high risk of COPD and to develop health strategies based on individual characteristics for the successful execution of smoking management programs. |