Telemetric detection of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and investigation of quality of life for people working in shipbuilding industry.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) has a significant impact on quality of life-related health.

AIM: It was the detection of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease by using telemetric methods and the investigation of the quality of life for people working in Shipbuilding Industry compared with a control group.

METHODS: A group of one hundred men working in the shipbuilding industry aged 51.8 ± 8.2 years old and a control group of one hundred men of the general population aged 51.1 ± 6.4 years were studied. All participants completed the General Health Questionnaire - 28, the Fagerstrom test and a form with demographic characteristics. Pulmonary function test results were electronically sent to a specialist for evaluation.

RESULTS: People working in the shipbuilding zone had significantly lower values (p<0.001) in FVC, FEV1 and FEV1/FVC compared with the general population participants. Worse social functionality was exhibited by workers in the shipbuilding zone, people with elementary education, unemployed and by those suffering from comorbidities (p <0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: Health level and its individual dimensions are both associated with health self-assessment and occupational and economic status. The coexistence of chronic diseases and smoking dependence affects emotion and social functioning of individuals.