Pain problems for patients with mild and moderate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease – a community-based study in Shanghai

BACKGROUND Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a great public health burden worldwide. Few studies have focused on pain problems in patients with mild and moderate COPD in Chinese community settings. METHODS A cross-sectional study of 283 patients with mild and moderate COPD was conducted in six communities that were randomly sampled in Pudong New Area of Shanghai, China, in 2016. A face-to-face interview was conducted to collect data on personal characteristics and health conditions. The short form McGill Pain Questionnaire and the COPD assessment test (CAT) were applied to evaluate pain problems and health status, respectively. RESULTS Among 283 subjects, more than one third (37%) had pain problems indicated by the present pain intensity (PPI) scale. COPD patients aged <65 years with exacerbation in the past 12 months or a CAT score of ≥10 had a significantly higher score in affective dimension. Female sex, COPD severity, and length of disease were significantly related to higher scores of the sensory dimension. Those with moderate COPD or a CAT score of ≥10 had significantly higher scores of visual analog scale than those with mild COPD or a CAT score <10. Patients with moderate COPD had a higher rank of PPI than those with mild COPD. CONCLUSION Pain was common in patients with mild and moderate COPD in the community settings of Shanghai, China. Severity of COPD and CAT score were significantly related to the prevalence of pain. Intervention measures should be developed to improve pain problems for COPD patients.