Role of Socioeconomic Factors on Physical and Mental Distress Reported by Alabama Adults with COPD

Abstract

This article examines how socioeconomic factors influence physical and mental distress experienced by Alabama adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) using 2015–2019 data from Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System surveys. Alabama adults with COPD who were employed/self-employed, retired, or identified as homemakers were less likely to report physical distress than those unable to work. Younger Alabama adults (25–64 years) with COPD were approximately two times more likely to report mental distress than respondents 65 and older. African Americans with COPD in Alabama were less likely to experience physical distress than Whites. Public health and healthcare practitioners across Alabama can use these state-level findings to direct more targeted, high-yield interventions that will address existing health disparities among Alabama residents with COPD.