TY - JOUR T1 - Influence of patient activation and health literacy on quality of life among patients with COPD JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J VL - 40 IS - Suppl 56 SP - P1460 AU - David Coultas AU - Bradford Jackson AU - Karan Singh AU - Sejong Bae Y1 - 2012/09/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/40/Suppl_56/P1460.abstract N2 - Background: While many factors contribute to the health status of patients with COPD little attention has been given to the influence of patient activation (PA) and health literacy (HL).Objectives: The purpose of this analysis was to examine the influence of PA and HL on quality of life (QOL) among a sample of patients with COPD.Methods: This was a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from patients with COPD eligible for pulmonary rehabilitation enrolled in a self-management clinical trial. PA was measured using two questions: confidence on when to seek medical care (ACT1) and frequency of taking a list of medications to doctor visits (ACT2). HL was measured using three questions: confidence in filling out forms, frequency of help needed to read hospital materials, or problems learning about medical condition. QOL was measured using generic (SF-12) and disease-specific (Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire [CRQ]) instruments.Results: Of 218 patients the majority reported being confident/very confident when to seek medical care (ACT1=79.8%) and taking a list of medicines (ACT2=63.8%). The association between levels of PA and QOL was examined separately using linear regression: ACT1 was directly and significantly associated with CRQ, and SF-12 physical and mental composite scores. In contrast ACT2 was only significantly, but inversely associated with CRQ. There was no association between levels of HL and any measures of QOL.Conclusion: These results suggest that a component of patient activation (ACT1) is associated with improved QOL and may offer a specific target for intervention to enhance activation and outcomes.Funding: National Institutes of Health-NHLBI R18 HL092955. ER -