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The association between chronic disease resource utilization and illness uncertainty in COPD patients: a latent profile analysis

Yangjuan Bao,Lili Yang,Jingren Zhao,Zhiqiang Wang,Leimian Fu,Min-Lin Fang,Jin-Mann S Lin

Published 2026 in PeerJ

ABSTRACT

Objective This study aimed to identify distinct patterns of chronic disease resource utilization among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and to examine their association with illness uncertainty. Design A cross-sectional study. Methods This study enrolled COPD patients hospitalized in the Department of Respiratory Medicine at a tertiary hospital in Zhejiang Province, China, between April and December 2023. All participants completed a general information form, the Chronic Illness Resource Survey (CIRS), and the Mishel Uncertainty in Illness Scale (MUIS). Latent profile analysis (LPA) was conducted to identify subgroups of resource utilization patterns. Subsequently, hierarchical linear regression was employed to assess the associations between these patterns and illness uncertainty. Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Board of the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University (Approval No. K2022057). Results A total of 308 participants were included. Two latent classes of resource utilization were identified: the Suboptimal Utilization Group (n = 209) and the Effective Utilization Group (n = 99). Patients in the effective utilization group reported significantly lower levels of illness uncertainty (R2 = 0.587, p < 0.001). Conclusions Distinct patterns of chronic disease resource utilization exist among COPD patients and are significantly associated with illness uncertainty. Healthcare providers should recognize these subgroups and implement targeted interventions to enhance access to disease-related support resources, thereby mitigating illness uncertainty. Implications Understanding COPD patients’ varying patterns of resource utilization enables healthcare professionals and related industries to deliver personalized, resource-based interventions tailored to individual needs, ultimately reducing illness-related uncertainty and improving disease management outcomes.

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