Samar H. Goma, Safaa A Mahran, Dalia G Mahran, Eman H El-Hakeim and Abeer M Ghandour
Background: Stoke is a long-term condition. Estimation of stroke outcomes is lacking. Stroke is known as the most common cause of disability among adults. The measurement of Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) is important to understand the actual status of the patients.
Aim: The aim of this study was to assess HRQOL among stroke patients and analyze clinical and functional factors that influence it.
Material and method: A cross-sectional study was applied to 65 strokes outpatients, 33 from Assiut University hospital, Assiut, Egypt and 32 from, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. A questionnaire was used to complete related data and assessment of HRQOL was done by the use of Barthel index, SF36, and SSQOL by personal interview.
Result: No significant differences were detected between two studied groups in all characteristics. For all study sample, our patients had low mean scores in all SF36 domains, the lowest was for RE with 3.46 ± 9.1 and GH was the best mean (51.7 ± 12.99). As regards SSQOL, patients had low mean scores on the lowest subscale in productivity (6.72 ± 3.21), whereas the language was the least affected (15.86 ± 6.26). There was a significant difference between the means of PCS and SSQOL in post-stroke duration which was significantly higher in >24 months (37.21 ± 8.59 and p = 0.007and 141.57 ± 36.12 and p = 0.052 respectively) than in the shorter durations. The independent patients had significantly higher PCS and SSQOL mean scores than who need assistance and immobile ones (26.79 ± 5.09 and p< 0.0001 and 101.93 ± 22.16 and p< 0.0001 respectively). Age and mobility were significantly negative correlated with PCS, SSQOL, and Barthel scores while there was a significant positive correlation between ULVC and LLVC testing grades and PCS, MCS, SSQOL and Barthel index scores. In the linear regression model, duration, mobility and voluntary control of lower limbs were predictors for PCS of SF-36 (p = 0.045, 0.000 and 0.036 respectively). There were no significant predictors on MCS. On the other hand Mobility and voluntary control of lower limbs were significant predictors for SSQOL (p = 0.001 and 0.051 respectively).
Conclusion: Stroke patient had poor QOL. A need for post-stroke care programs for improving the physical, mental and social quality of life for those patients is mandatory.
