Introduction:
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a partially irreversible narrowing of the respiratory tract that hinders air flow through the lungs. Airflow impairment in patients with COPD causes fatigue.

Material and methods:
The aim of the study was to determine the sense of fatigue in patients diagnosed with COPD on the basis of sociodemographic and biomedical factors. The study was conducted in 2016 in a group of 120 patients with COPD. The method of a diagnostic survey using the Brief Fatigue Inventory scale was used.

Results:
According to the Brief Fatigue Inventory scale, 1.67% of respondents experienced mild fatigue, while 98.33% moderate. Statistical analysis of the study results indicates that the fatigue intensity was significant in the group of women (p < 0.001), people over 60 and 50 to 60 years old (p < 0.001), overweight and underweight (p < 0.001), patients with secondary and primary education (p < 0,001), living in a city (p < 0.001), in a single-family house or block of flats (p < 0.001), smokers (p < 0.001) or passive smokers (p < 0.001), physical workers (p < 0.001), suffering for 3–5 years (p < 0.001). The reasons for the presence of ailments such as coughing or shortness of breath exacerbating fatigue were physical activity (61.67%), respiratory infections (58.33%), contact with chemical agents (55.83%), and rarely stress (28.33%).

Conclusions:
In the group of patients with COPD, fatigue is more pronounced in the over 60 age group, in women, overweight patients and those living in the city. Fatigue is intensified by the duration and severity of the disease, physical activity and physical work, as well as cigarette smoking.