Pain and quality of life with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Christine Ra ˚ heim Borge, MHSc, RN a,b, *, Astrid K. Wahl, PhD, RN a , Torbjørn Moum, PhD c a Department of Health Sciences, University of Oslo, Institute of Health and Society, Faculty of Medicine, Oslo, Norway b Department of Medicine, Lovisenberg Diaconal Hospital, Oslo, Norway c University of Oslo, Department of Behavioural Sciences in Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Oslo, Norway article info Article history: Received 6 July 2010 Revised 6 October 2010 Accepted 21 October 2010 Online 26 March 2011 Keywords: COPD Pain Quality of life Demographic Lung function abstract Background: Pain as a symptom may be underrecognized in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Objective: The aim of this study is to explore the prevalence and intensity of pain, its location, how demographic and clinical variables may be related to pain, and how pain is associated with quality of life (QOL). Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 154 patients with COPD answered the Brief Pain Inventory, Respiratory Quality of Life Questionnaire, and Quality of Life Scale, and performed spirometry. Results: Seventy-two percent of the patients indicated the location of pain on a body diagram. Lower lung function, higher score of pain intensity, and pain interference were associated with lower disease QOL. A higher score of pain interference was associated with lower global QOL. When controlling for disease QOL in the equation of global QOL, pain interference was no longer significant. Conclusion: The experience of pain is related to disease QOL in patients with COPD. Cite this article: Borge, C. R., Wahl, A. K., & Moum, T. (2011, MAY/JUNE). Pain and quality of life with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Heart & Lung, 40(3), e90-e101. doi:10.1016/j.hrtlng.2010.10.009. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by an airflow limitation that is not fully reversible and often leads to hospitalization and mortality. 1,2 Consequently, patients with COPD expe- rience a wide range of burdens representing several symptoms, such as breathlessness, anxiety, depression, fatigue, and sleeping difficulties. 3 For instance, Borge et al 4 found that the symptom breath- lessness was the most prominent symptom associated with symptoms, such as depression, anxiety, fatigue, sleeping difficulties, and pain, after controlling for demographic and clinical variables. Prevalence studies CRB was responsible for collecting data, analyzing, and writing the draft of the article. AKW and TB supervised, performed, analyzed, and completed the draft of the article. Funding: Lovisenberg Diaconal Hospital. * Corresponding author: Christine Ra ˚ heim Borge, MHSc, RN, University of Oslo, Department of Health Sciences, Institute of Health and Society, Faculty of Medicine, Oslo, Norway and Department of Medicine, Lovisenberg Diaconal Hospital, Lovisenberg gaten 17, 0440 Oslo, Norway. E-mail address: c.r.borge@medisin.uio.no (C. R. Borge). 0147-9563/$ - see front matter Ó 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.hrtlng.2010.10.009