engleski

Quality of Life after Stroke in Croatian Patients

To evaluate whether the quality of life assessment by controls (permanent caregivers) can be used as valuable substitute for self-assessment of post-stroke patients, to explore whether patient's gender and time span after stroke affected quality of life assessment by them and controls. One hundred subjects (patients surviving an ishemic stroke) and the same number of their controls were interviewed using SS-QOL questionnaire (Stroke Specific Quality of Life Scale) (1). It consisted of 12 groups of questions, addressing physical, psychological, functional and social aspects of quality of life after stroke. Additional socidemographic data were collected from patients, data on comorbidity and time span after stroke were obtained from medical records. Total SS-QOL score did not differ between post stroke patients and their controls (z=0.64, P =0.524). In specific domains controls rated 'family role' (z=-1.55, P=0.122), 'social role' (z=1.20, P=0.231), 'mobility' (z=-1.14, P=0.254) and 'hand function' (z=-0.81, P=0.417) equally as the patients themselves. Quality of life total scores were not significantly different between male and female patients (z=-1.10, P=0.267). Male patients rated their 'hand function' equally (z=0.94, P=0.348), but 'family role' (z=-2.82, P=0.005), 'mobility (z=-2.28, P=0.023) and 'social role' (z=-1.86, P=0.063) significantly higher than their female peers. Recent and remote stroke patients group did not differ in total SS-QOL score (z=-0.99, P=0.324), 'social role' (z=-1.45, P=0.147) and 'hand function' (z=-0.60, P=0.547). In 'mobility' (z=-1.90, P=0.057) and 'family role' (z=-2.47, P=0.014) estimation, the difference was significant in favor of recent stroke group. In both genders, analyzed domain scores and total SS-QOL score did not differ between recent stroke patients and their controls. In remote stroke subgroup, male post stroke patients and controls estimated patients' 'mobility' (z=-1.64, P=0.102) 'social role' (z=-0.74, P=0.458) and 'hand function' (z=-0.55, P=0.580) equally, however controls slightly overrated patients' 'family role' (z=-1.66, P=0.098). The same happened in male remote stroke subgroup, namely controls marginally overestimated their 'family role' (z=-1.70, P=0.088) ; while in 'mobility' (z=-0.62, P=0.536), 'social role' (z=0.58, P=0.561) 'hand function' (z=-1.00, P=0.316) and total score values (z=-1.08, P=0.282) there was no difference. According to our results, assessment of general functioning and global quality of life among post-stroke patients provided by patient's controls could be confidently accepted. In our study male patients overestimated their 'family role', 'mobility' and 'social role' compared to their female peers. Patients and controls showed no significant impact of post-stroke time span on quality of life estimation.

stroke; quality of life; controls

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