Factors Influencing Severity and Impact of Symptoms in Patients with Upper Respiratory Tract Infection at Community Hospitals and Health-Promoting Hospitals

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to examine the factors that influence the severity and impact of symptoms in patients with an Upper Respiratory Tract Infection (URTI). Materials and Methods: This study is a correlational predictive research. The sample size included 127 patients with URTI accessing care at community hospital and 5 health-promoting hospitals from February to June in 2020. Data were collected by using a questionnaire on demographic data, a questionnaire on health literacy, a questionnaire on self-care behavior in patients with URTI, the Nutrition Alert Form (NAF), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and the Wisconsin Upper Respiratory Symptom Survey-21 (WURSS-21). Subsequently, the data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis. Results: The sample had a mean age of 45.30 years in which 73.2% were females; the average score of severity and impact of symptoms was minimal (Mean = 52.75 ± 22.85). The results from the multiple regression analysis indicated that all variables were able to co-predict the severity and impact of symptoms in patients with URTI as 25.9% (R2 = .259, F = 10.676, p < .05). Sleep quality and health literacy were the most statistically significant in predicting the severity and impact of symptoms in this sample group (β = .393 and -.221 respectively, p < .05). Conclusion: The findings suggested that nurses should encourage their patients to be aware of the importance of sleep, promoting a good sleep method and health literacy in order to make better decisions in their daily health.