OBJECTIVE: To establish the association between quality of life and depression among COPD patients of the Colombian Caribbean. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was carried out with the participation of adult COPD patients. COPD-related quality of life was quantified with the COPD Assessment Test (CAT) and depression using the Zung 10-item Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS-10). The relationship between COPD-related quality of life and depression with odds ratios (OR), crude and adjusted, was determined. RESULTS: 408 patients participated in the study. They were aged between 40 and 102 years (mean = 72.9, SD = 10.2) and 58.8% men. Two hundred eighty-four patients (69.6%) reported worse health status (CAT ≥10), and 114 patients (27.9%) scored for depression (SDS-10). Patients with worse health status presented more depression (OR = 5.85, 95% CI 3.01-11.36) and after adjusting for gender (OR = 5.70, 95% CI 2.92-11.13). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with COPD and CAT ≥10, there is a five times greater risk of depression than patients with CAT <10. However, the relationship may be bidirectional. It is essential to specify the direction of causality in future investigations.
OBJECTIVE: To establish the association between quality of life and depression among COPDpatients of the Colombian Caribbean. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was carried out with the participation of adult COPDpatients. COPD-related quality of life was quantified with the COPD Assessment Test (CAT) and depression using the Zung 10-item Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS-10). The relationship between COPD-related quality of life and depression with odds ratios (OR), crude and adjusted, was determined. RESULTS: 408 patients participated in the study. They were aged between 40 and 102 years (mean = 72.9, SD = 10.2) and 58.8% men. Two hundred eighty-four patients (69.6%) reported worse health status (CAT ≥10), and 114 patients (27.9%) scored for depression (SDS-10). Patients with worse health status presented more depression (OR = 5.85, 95% CI 3.01-11.36) and after adjusting for gender (OR = 5.70, 95% CI 2.92-11.13). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with COPD and CAT ≥10, there is a five times greater risk of depression than patients with CAT <10. However, the relationship may be bidirectional. It is essential to specify the direction of causality in future investigations.