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.