Emergency room visits for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Illinois counties: An epidemiological study based on the Social Ecological Model.

Objectives This study aimed to determine the predictive capability of the Social Ecological Model for emergency room visits for acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Methods County-level secondary data ( n = 102) on emergency room visits for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were retrieved from the Illinois Department of Public Health for 2016. Data for variables operationalized from the intrapersonal, interpersonal, institutional, community, and public policy levels of the Social Ecological Model were retrieved from several sources. Geographic information system software was used to examine the spatial distribution of emergency room visits for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Illinois. Robust linear regression analysis was used to examine significant predictors of emergency room visits for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Results A regression model with all five levels of the Social Ecological Model accounted for 50% of the variability in emergency room visits for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, F(24,77) = 4.62, p < 0.001. Statistically significant predictors of emergency room visits for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were observed within the interpersonal, institutional, and community levels of the Social Ecological Model. Discussion Community health practitioners working to develop programs aimed at controlling chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbations in Illinois should consider multiple levels of influence.