Baseline characteristics of study participants
| Characteristic | Intervention (n = 78) | Control (n = 38) |
|---|---|---|
| Sex, male:female | 40:38 | 13:25 |
| Age, years | 69.0 ± 9.8 | 70.5 ± 10.0 |
| Marital and employment status, n (%) | ||
| Married | 47 (60) | 16 (42) |
| Single | 4 (5) | 1 (3) |
| Widowed | 13 (17) | 13 (34) |
| Divorced | 14 (18) | 8 (22) |
| Lives alone | 28 (36) | 13 (34) |
| Currently employed | 12 (15) | 2 (5) |
| Age completed full-time education, yearsa | 15.1 ± 2.0 | 16.1 ± 7.4 |
| Smoking and COPD status | ||
| Current smoker, n (%) | 24 (31) | 8 (21) |
| Ever smoker, n (%) | 68 (87) | 33 (87) |
| Mean pack-years | 47.6 ± 30.6 | 50.2 ± 35.8 |
| Had pulmonary rehab, n (%) | 10 (13) | 10 (26) |
| Cumulative Illness Rating Scale Scoreb | 12.1 ± 4.5 | 12.9 ± 5.1 |
| COPD exacerbation in past 12 months, n (%) | 60 (77) | 26 (68) |
| Unscheduled COPD care in past year, n (%) | 62 (80) | 29 (76) |
| Years since COPD diagnosed | 7.6 ± 9.7 | 6.0 ± 7.8 |
| BMI,c kg/m2 | 26.4 ± 5.4 | 27.4 ± 6.4 |
| Using oxygen, n (%) | 13 (17) | 7 (18) |
| Lung function | ||
| FEV1, litres | 1.32 ± 0.54 | 1.27 ± 0.58 |
| FEV1, % predicted | 53.9 ± 22.6 | 54.6 ± 23.4 |
| FVC, litres | 2.40 ± 0.78 | 2.04 ± 0.54 |
| FVC, % predicted | 77.6 ± 22.3 | 74.4 ± 20.1 |
| FEV1:FVC | 0.55 ± 0.15 | 0.59 ± 0.17 |
Data shown are mean ± standard deviation unless otherwise indicated.
↵a Three participants had never been in full-time education.
↵b See text, higher scores represent greater comorbidity.
↵c BMI, based on self-report height and weight. BMI = body mass index. COPD = chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. FEV1 = forced expiratory volume in 1 second. FVC = forced vital capacity.