Affiliation:
1. University of Maryland School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD, USA
2. University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
3. University of New Hampshire School of Nursing, Durham, NH, USA
Abstract
Fatigue in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is debilitating and associated with considerable morbidity. The aim of this study is to present a model based on the Theory of Unpleasant Symptoms of physiologic, psychologic, and situational factors with COPD-related fatigue and the relationship with physical functioning. This study used data collected from Wave 2 (2010-2011) of the National Social, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP). A total of 518 adults with self-reported COPD were included in this study. Path analysis was used for hypothesis testing. Depression was the only psychologic factor found to have a direct relation to both fatigue (β = 0.158, p < .001) and physical function (β = −0.131, p = .001). Factors related to physical function included fatigue, depression, sleep, loneliness, and pain. Additionally, fatigue was indirectly associated with physical function via depression (β = −0.064, p = .012). These findings suggest avenues for future research on predictors of COPD-related fatigue in relation to physical functioning.
Funder
Biology and Behavior Across the Lifespan Organized Research Center at University of Maryland School of Nursing.