title: Awareness of COPD in a high risk Korean population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Increased awareness and understanding of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an important aspect of disease management. The aim of this study was to explore COPD awareness among smokers participating in a smoking cessation program.
  
  
  METHODS
  Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 289 subjects in three smoking cessation clinics, using a structured questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 68.2% of subjects had COPD-related symptoms, and 19.7% were in poor health. Only 1.0% of the subjects knew that COPD was a respiratory disease. A total of 2.4% of subjects had been diagnosed with COPD and received treatment. Television was the most common source of information about COPD, with 57.1% of the subjects receiving information in this way. After being informed about COPD, smoking-cessation willingness increased in 84.1% of the study group. It increased in 86.3% of the subjects without awareness of COPD and in 81.2% of subjects with COPD-related symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found that awareness of COPD is very poor among current smokers in Korea. Many smokers perceived their health status as good, despite the presence of COPD-related symptoms. As the level of smoking-cessation willingness was different between those with and without awareness of COPD or COPD-related symptoms, a personalized education program with various educational tools may be needed to enhance awareness of the disease and to motivate smokers to quit.
authors: Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Anyang, Korea.
authors: Jae Yong
authors: JY
authors: Seo
authors: Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Anyang, Korea.
authors: Yong Il
authors: YI
authors: Hwang
authors: Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Anyang, Korea.
authors: So Yeong
authors: SY
authors: Mun
authors: Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Anyang, Korea.
authors: Jin Hee
authors: JH
authors: Kim
authors: Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Anyang, Korea.
authors: Joo Hee
authors: JH
authors: Kim
authors: Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Anyang, Korea.
authors: Sung Hoon
authors: SH
authors: Park
authors: Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Anyang, Korea.
authors: Seung Hun
authors: SH
authors: Jang
authors: Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Anyang, Korea.
authors: Yong Bum
authors: YB
authors: Park
authors: Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University Guro Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Jae Jung
authors: JJ
authors: Shim
authors: Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Anyang, Korea. pulmoks@hallym.ac.kr.
authors: Ki-Suck
authors: KS
authors: Jung
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044466:Asian People / Q000523:psychology; D001364:Awareness; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000453:epidemiology; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; awareness; education; smokers