Journal article
Rural Residence and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Exacerbations. Analysis of the SPIROMICS Cohort
Annals of the American Thoracic Society, Vol.15(7), pp.808-816
07/2018
DOI: 10.1513/AnnalsATS.201710-837OC
PMCID: PMC6207115
PMID: 29584453
Abstract
Rationale:
Rural residence is associated with poor outcomes in several chronic diseases. The association between rural residence and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations remains unclear.
Objectives:
In this work, we sought to determine the independent association between rural residence and COPD-related outcomes, including COPD exacerbations, airflow obstruction, and symptom burden.
Methods:
A total of 1,684 SPIROMICS (Subpopulations and Intermediate Outcome Measures in COPD Study) participants with forced expiratory volume in 1 second/forced vital capacity < 0.70 had geocoding-defined rural-urban residence status determined (
N
= 204 rural and
N
= 1,480 urban). Univariate and multivariate logistic and negative binomial regressions were performed to assess the independent association between rurality and COPD outcomes, including exacerbations, lung function, and symptom burden. The primary exposure of interest was rural residence, determined by geocoding of the home address to the block level at the time of study enrollment. Additional covariates of interest included demographic and clinical characteristics, occupation, and occupational exposures. The primary outcome measures were exacerbations determined over a 1-year course after enrollment by quarterly telephone calls and at an annual research clinic visit. The odds ratio (OR) and incidence rate ratio (IRR) of exacerbations that required treatment with medications, including steroids or antibiotics (total exacerbations), and exacerbations leading to hospitalization (severe exacerbations) were determined after adjusting for relevant covariates.
Results:
Rural residence was independently associated with a 70% increase in the odds of total exacerbations (OR, 1.70 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.13–2.56];
P
= 0.012) and a 46% higher incidence rate of total exacerbations (IRR 1.46 [95% CI, 1.02–2.10];
P
= 0.039). There was no association between rural residence and severe exacerbations. Agricultural occupation was independently associated with increased odds and incidence of total and severe exacerbations. Inclusion of agricultural occupation in the analysis attenuated the association between rural residence and the odds and incidence rate of total exacerbations (OR, 1.52 [95% CI, 1.00–2.32];
P
= 0.05 and IRR 1.39 [95% CI, 0.97–1.99];
P
= 0.07). There was no difference in symptoms or airflow obstruction between rural and urban participants.
Conclusions:
Rural residence is independently associated with increased odds and incidence of total, but not severe, COPD exacerbations. These associations are not fully explained by agriculture-related exposures, highlighting the need for future research into potential mechanisms of the increased risk of COPD exacerbations in the rural population.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Rural Residence and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Exacerbations. Analysis of the SPIROMICS Cohort
- Creators
- Robert M Burkes - Division of Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Medicine, andAmanda J Gassett - Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, andAgathe S Ceppe - Marsico Lung Institute/Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North CarolinaWayne Anderson - Marsico Lung Institute/Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North CarolinaWanda K O’Neal - Marsico Lung Institute/Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North CarolinaPrescott G Woodruff - Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep and Allergy, Department of Medicine and Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California San Francisco, School of Medicine, San Francisco, CaliforniaJerry A Krishnan - Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep, and Allergy, University of Illinois, Chicago, IllinoisR. Graham Barr - Department of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New YorkMeiLan K Han - Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, MichiganFernando J Martinez - Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York, New YorkAlejandro P Comellas - Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IowaAllison A Lambert - Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, University of Washington, Seattle, WashingtonJoel D Kaufman - Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, andMark T Dransfield - Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AlabamaJ. Michael Wells - Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AlabamaRichard E Kanner - Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UtahRobert Paine - Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UtahEugene R Bleecker - Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Allergy and Immunologic Diseases, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina; andLaura M Paulin - Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MarylandNadia N Hansel - Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MarylandSPIROMICS Investigators
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Annals of the American Thoracic Society, Vol.15(7), pp.808-816
- DOI
- 10.1513/AnnalsATS.201710-837OC
- PMID
- 29584453
- PMCID
- PMC6207115
- NLM abbreviation
- Ann Am Thorac Soc
- ISSN
- 2329-6933
- eISSN
- 2325-6621
- Publisher
- American Thoracic Society
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 07/2018
- Academic Unit
- Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Occupational Medicine; ICTS; Internal Medicine
- Record Identifier
- 9984094488702771
Metrics
26 Record Views