Summary
Introduction
The acceleration of the aging rate of the population, the associated risk of frailty syndrome and the increase in the number of people living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) mean that future health policy should focus on activities in the field of health promotion, enhancing health behavior, and maintaining or improving the functional fitness of aging people.

Aim of the research
To analyze the coexistence of frailty syndrome and the severity of health behaviors in elderly patients with COPD as well as established factors determining the severity of health behaviors.

Material and methods
A hundred COPD patients (mean age: 72.82 ±8.31 years) hospitalized in the Independent Public Healthcare Center in Kępno, Poland were examined. The COPD Assessment Test (CAT), mMRC Dyspnea Severity Scale, Tilburg Frailty Index (TFI), and Health Behavior Inventory were used.

Results
Ninety-two percent had frailty syndrome. The mean value of the TFI index was 9.31 ±2.97. A group of 53% had high intensity, 35% had average intensity, and 11% had low intensity of health behaviors. The strongest positive predictors of health behaviors were the presence of two or more chronic diseases in addition to COPD itself (ßstd = 0.42; p < 0.001) and higher results obtained on the CAT scale (ßstd = 0.38; p < 0.001). The severity of most health behaviors decreased with the duration of COPD, while the severity of health practices increased with age.

Conclusions
Health promotion and health education activities should be aimed at those COPD patients who have been ill for a long period of time as well as at younger patients.

Relevance
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the most common diseases of the respiratory system in the 21st century and its main cause is smoking. COPD is prevalent in the elderly population, with a high impact on their quality of life, morbidity, and mortality.

COPD is a significant threat to the health of the community and is one of the major health problems in Poland and in the world. The key role in improving the health condition of the population in this regard is prevention and health promotion. Therefore, the priority is to know the risk factors and eliminate them, as well as to develop proper habits regarding a healthy lifestyle. It is also becoming important to encourage health behaviors, which makes it possible to limit the number of exacerbations and the progression of the disease. It is of particular importance in the case of elderly people, most of whom show exhaustion of physiological reserves, and consequently, difficulties in functioning in everyday life.