Dyspnea self-management in African Americans with chronic lung disease.
OBJECTIVE
To explore dyspnea self-management in African Americans with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or chronic restrictive pulmonary disease resulting from sarcoidosis.


METHODS
Descriptive.


METHODS
Convenience sample of 29 African Americans, 15 with COPD (forced expiratory volume in 1 second/forced vital capacity = 53%), and 14 with sarcoidosis (forced expiratory volume in 1 second/forced vital capacity = 88%; total lung capacity 62.4% of predicted).


METHODS
Semistructured interviews.


RESULTS
Content analysis revealed 4 dyspnea self-management themes: (1) traditional medical care, (2) self-care wisdom, (3) self-care action, and (4) self-care resources. Breathing strategies (a subtheme for self-care action) for patients with COPD focused on both inhalation and exhalation, whereas patients with sarcoidosis described inhalation breathing strategies only.


CONCLUSIONS
African Americans with chronic lung disease described use of different breathing strategies for COPD and sarcoidosis disorders. Both groups actively engaged in health-promoting activities for dyspnea management.
Nield
M
M
School of Nursing, University of California at Los Angeles, CA 90095-6917, USA.
D001741:Black or African American; D001945:Breathing Exercises; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017565:Sarcoidosis, Pulmonary / Q000150:complications*; D012648:Self Care / Q000592:standards*; D014481:United States