Health-Related Quality of Life in Stroke Survivors in Relation to the Type of Inpatient Rehabilitation in Serbia: A Prospective Cohort Study

Specific health-related quality of life in Cerebrovascular accident survivors: associated factors

OBJECTIVES

to identify factors associated with specific health-related quality of life in cerebrovascular accident, or stroke, survivors.

METHODS

cross-sectional study, carried out with 160 cerebrovascular accident survivors. Data were collected using the Barthel Index, Cerebrovascular Accident Specific Quality of Life Scale, and semi-structured instruments for sociodemographic and clinical data, analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics.

RESULTS

health-related quality of life was associated with work activity (p=0.027), physical activity (p=0.007), functional capacity (p=0.001), presence of caregiver (<0.001), motor alteration (p = 0.001) and rehabilitation (p=0.003). The functionally dependent people were 14.61 times more likely to present low health-related quality of life, and those with motor impairment were 3.07 times more likely.

CONCLUSIONS

it was evidenced that functional dependence and motor impairment increase the chance of low health-related quality of life in cerebrovascular accident survivors.

The Efficiency of Spa Rehabilitation in Chronic Ischemic Stroke Patients-Preliminary Reports

Background: Rehabilitation-oriented therapy after a stroke must continue in various forms as a life-long effort. Aim: The study investigated the impact of spa rehabilitation on the quality of life and functional efficiency in patients after an ischemic stroke at a chronic stage of recovery. Methods: The assessment was carried out in a spa resort in southeastern Poland. It involved 32 patients with strokes who participated in a three-week rehabilitation program. Three examinations were performed: upon admission, on the day of discharge and at a two-month follow-up. The quality of life and functional efficiency were assessed with the WHOQOL-BREF and Barthel Index. Results: The quality of life was significantly higher in Exam II compared with Exam I (p < 0.001), and improvement was retained at the follow-up. The Barthel scores were higher in Exam II compared with Exam I (79.84 vs. 68.59), while the differences between the scores in Exams II and III were small (p = 0.039). Conclusions: Three-week spa rehabilitation seems to favorably affect the functional efficiency and quality of life after a stroke. The effects appear to be long-term. The gender, age and time from stroke onset do not seem to impact short-term effects. However, long-term effects are related to the time from stroke onset.