Improvement in the bronchial obstruction is the aim of treatment for patients with chronic bronchitis. In this work, we attempted to identify subjective psychosocial and neurophysiological factors which are essential for understanding the quality of life in these patients. The study included 77 male patients under 80 years of age who were diagnosed as having chronic bronchitis by their family physician. In all cases, the disease state was stable without any other complication or co-morbidity. Each patient responded to a questionnaire and underwent volume-flow tests. The population was divided into 2 groups by VEMS: VEMS > or = 50% (n = 48) and VEMS < 50 (n = 19). Main component analysis followed by varimax rotation was used to analyse data. A Cronbach coefficient was calculated to measure data skewness. The Pearson correlations were calculated for the different factors. Mean intergroup means were compared with the unpaired t test. Data analysis demonstrated two physical factors: dyspnea and bronchial obstruction; 4 psychological factors: anxiety, impotency/hopeless feeling, depression, fatigue: and one psychological trait. Key symptoms of chronic bronchitis developed in patients with affective states contributing to the patient's subjective description of his disease and influencing therapeutic management. A better understanding of these patients is needed to improve treatment of chronic bronchitis.