The Environmental Domain of Quality of Life in Patients with Chronic Respiratory Diseases.

The literature lacks reports on the role played by the Environmental domain of quality of life (QoL) in care for patients with chronic respiratory diseases. Such information has a high potential for implementation in modern medicine based on a 'tailor-made' holistic healthcare model. The purpose of this study was to determine the components that shape the Environmental domain of QoL in patients with chronic respiratory diseases. The study group consisted of 305 adult patients (median age 65 years) with at least one chronic respiratory disease. The greatest contribution to a high value of QoL in the Environmental domain among patients with chronic respiratory diseases was made by the coexistence of high QoL levels in other domains and in satisfaction with QoL. Programs for preventing a decline in QoL in the Environmental domain should include patients with low scores for the above variables as well as those with a low level of education, those who have not shown an improvement in their psychological well-being in the past 12 months, those with a low level of positive mental attitudes or healthy eating habits, a low Camberwell index, and low levels of overall pro-health behavior.