ASSESSMENT OF HEALTH - RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE OF POST - STROKE SURVIVORS

Abstract

The objective of the paper was to assess the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in post-stroke survivors. Method: A prospective cohort study was done. The study involved 136 post-stroke survivors who had inpatient rehabilitation. Their functional status was assessed by Barthel Index (BI) and modified Rankin scale (mRS). The Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) was used for screening the cognitive function. HRQOL was assessed by the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form (SF-36). Functional status, cognitive function and HRQOL were assessed at the admission, one, and six months after the stroke. The repeated-measures analysis of ANOVA variance test was used as a correlation analysis. Results: There were marked declines in all eight SF-36 questionnaire domains at admission. After one month and after six months of follow-up, BI and MMSE scores increased and mRS decreased. All eight domains of the SF-36 improved, but six showed a statistically significant increase. The domains of bodily pain and vitality showed non-significant improvements. Six months after the stroke, five domains continued to increase significantly, except for vitality, bodily pain and mental health. ANOVA showed that the values of mRs significantly decreased during the investigation (p < 0.001) while the BI and MMSE scores significantly increased (p < 0.001). Conclusions: A strong correlation was found between higher BI scores and physical and social domains, and emotional role, mental and general health. Improvements in motor ability and improvements of cognitive function were statistically significantly associated with HRQOL increase. All the domains of SF 36 improved during the six-month follow-up. Bodily pain, vitality and mental health improved non-significantly during the six months after the stroke.