Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) literacy among traffic police in Kathmandu, Nepal: A cross-sectional study

In Nepal, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a growing concern, particularly among traffic police who are exposed to high levels of air pollution. Traffic police in Kathmandu are continuously exposed to air pollution and are at increased health risk. Therefore, we aimed to study COPD literacy among traffic police of Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 250 traffic police officers working at 11 sites in the Kathmandu Valley from July to August 2023. A 20- to 25-minute interview was conducted with randomly selected participants at the respective study location. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the factors associated with COPD literacy. The mean age of the participants was 30.5 (±6.6) years, and more than 3-quarters of the respondents had more than 5 years of experience. The study revealed that nearly half of the participants (48.8%) had limited knowledge of COPD. Traffic police who studied COPD in school (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.7, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.5–4.7), who heard about chronic respiratory diseases (AOR = 3.4, 95% CI = 1.7–6.6), and who never smoked (AOR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.0–3.5) had higher odds of having a good level of knowledge of COPD. Unmarried participants had lower odds of having a good level of knowledge of COPD than the married participants (AOR = 0.4, 95% CI = 0.2–0.7). This study highlights inadequate COPD literacy among Kathmandu’s traffic police and emphasizes the need for targeted educational interventions. Integrating COPD education into school curricula, traffic police training programs, and public health initiatives is crucial, particularly for high-risk occupational groups such as traffic police. These findings underscore the role of health literacy in promoting preventive behaviors and reducing the burden of COPD among at-risk populations.