Investigating the Relationship between Self-Care Ability Based on Orem's Self-Care Model and Fatigue in COPD Patients

Abstract

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common preventable and treatable disease, ranking the fifth cause of death worldwide. Fatigue is one of the common symptoms induced by this disease. Therapeutic measures cannot prevent fatigue in the long term; therefore, COPD-induced fatigue should be controlled by implementing appropriate methods. The current investigation was attempted to investigate the relationship between self-care ability and fatigue in COPD patients based on Orem self-care model. The present analytical-descriptive study was performed on 101 COPD patients referred to Ayatollah Kashani and Hajar hospitals aaffiliated to Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, during 2017. Data were collected using demographic characteristics questionnaire, self-care questionnaire based on Orem self-care model, and Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). Data were analyzed by SPSS and used descriptive and analytical statistics (independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson correlation test). The results suggested a significant relationship between self-care ability and educational level (P = 0.001) as well as fatigue and age groups (P = 0.023). Furthermore, a significant correlation was observed between fatigue and general self-care ability (P = 0.046, r = -0.19) as well as fatigue and overall self-care capacity (P = 0.035, r = -0.210). With respect to results of current study, COPD patients' demographic characteristics should be taken into account in order to help them increase self-care ability in controlling and reducing COPD-induced fatigue.