Respiratory Symptoms and Psychological Distress in Farmers Living With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Background: Farmers with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) often face both respiratory issues and psychological distress, which can exacerbate their condition. However, no prior research has examined how the frequency of respiratory symptoms is associated to psychological distress in these individuals. Therefore, this study aimed to explore this relationship among U.S. farmers living with COPD. Methods: A cross-sectional study involved 101 participants, a mix of on-site and online recruits, assessing respiratory symptoms and psychological distress in farmers with COPD. The study employed standard self-reported measures and utilized both simple and multiple linear regression to analyze the association between respiratory symptoms and psychological distress. Findings: Participants reported notably higher levels of respiratory symptoms (61.6 [SD = 13.3]) compared to the reference score of 12, along with elevated psychological distress (25.9 [SD = 10.6]). Factors like COPD duration, income, smoking, and emergency department (ED) visits correlated with respiratory symptoms, while age, COPD duration, income, smoking, pesticide exposure, and farm type were associated to psychological distress. Notably, even after accounting for age, smoking, and pesticide exposure, a significant association remained between respiratory symptoms and psychological distress (β = 0.46, p <.001). Conclusion: Respiratory symptoms were significantly associated to psychological distress, even when considering other factors. While this aligns with existing research, a future longitudinal study is crucial to establish the cause-effect relationship between these variables. Understanding this relationship could inform the development of targeted interventions to alleviate psychological distress in individuals with respiratory symptoms. Implications for Occupational Health Nursing Practice: The correlation between COPD symptoms and psychological distress in farmers emphasizes the need for integrated nursing care. Occupational health nurses should prioritize combined respiratory and mental health assessments.