Return to work after mild-to-moderate stroke: work satisfaction and predictive factors

Figures & data

Table 1. Descriptive characteristics of participants (n = 121)^€.

	Total (n = 121)^€	Return to work (n = 87)^€	No return to work (n = 34)^€	Value of statistic test
Demographic characteristics at baseline
Female sex, %	27.3	26.4	29.4	.01^#
Age, years, mean (SD)	56.3 (8.5)	55.9 (9.0)	57.2 (6.9)	−.67
Relationship, % yes	82.6	80.5	88.2	.56^#
Higher level of education, %^‡, (n = 122)	33.3	37.2 (n = 86)	23.5	1.5^#
Residence at two months, % at home	86.8	89.7	79.4	2.1^#
Stroke-related characteristics at baseline
Type of stroke, infarction, %	92.6	90.8	97.1	.63^#
Location of stroke, %, (n = 119)			(n = 32)	.97^#
Left	40.3	42.5	34.4
Right	42.0	41.4	43.8
Brainstem	8.4	8.0	9.4
Cerebellum	9.2	8.0	12.5
Vascular area, % (n = 107)		(n = 79)	(n = 28)	1.2^#
Anterior	1.9	2.5	0
Media	69.2	69.6	67.9
Posterior	8.4	8.9	7.1
Vertebrobasillary	20.6	19.0	25.0
Recurrent stroke, %	5.8	5.7	5.9	<.01^#
Severity of stroke (NIHSS), mean (SD)	2.3 (2.5)	2.0 (2.2)	2.7 (3.1)	−.46
Dependency in ADL (BI), mean (SD)	18.2 (4.0)	18.7 (3.3)	17.1 (5.2)	−.58
%^¶, dependent	17.4	14.9	23.5
Personal and neuropsychological characteristics at two months post-stroke
Passive coping (UCL), mean (SD), (n = 114)	10.2 (2.6)	10.2 (2.4), (n = 84)	10.3 (7.3), (n = 30)	−.28
Self-efficacy (GSES), mean (SD), (n = 114)	31.5 (6.7)	31.9 (6.4), (n = 84)	30.5 (7.3), (n = 30)	−.72
Emotional mood (HADS), mean (SD), (n = 112)	9.2 (7.2)	8.3 (6.3), (n = 84)	11.6 (9.2), (n = 28)	−1.47
Depressive symptoms, mean (SD), (n = 112)	4.3 (3.9)	3.8 (3.5), (n = 84)	5.7 (4.8), (n = 28)	−1.68
%^¶, high symptoms	13.5	10.8	21.4
Anxiety symptoms, mean (SD), (n = 112)	4.9 (3.8)	4.5 (3.4), (n = 84)	5.9 (4.7), (n = 28)	−1.14
%^¶, high symptoms	18.8	15.5	28.6
Global cognitive functioning (MoCA), mean (SD), (n = 114)	25.3 (3.3)	25.6 (3.0), (n = 83)	24.3 (3.8), (n = 31)	−2.0 (p = .043)
%^¶, cognitively impaired	51.8	48.2	61.3

Abbreviations: BI, Barthel Index; EPQ-RSS, Eysenck Personality Questionnaire - Revised Short Scale; GSES, General Self-Efficacy Scale; HADS, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; MoCA, Montreal Cognitive Assessment; n, number; NIHSS, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale; SD, Standard Deviation; UCL, Utrecht Coping List; UPCC, Utrecht Proactive Coping Competence Scale.

^€n = 121, n = 87, n = 34 resp., unless stated otherwise.

^#Variables assessed with Chi-squared test, all the other variables were assessed with the Mann-Whitney U Test.

^‡Senior secondary education, university preparatory education, higher professional education, and university.

^¶Percentage of participants below or above cut-off score: dependent in ADL, BI < 18; cognitively impaired, MoCA < 26; high depressive symptoms, HADS > 8; high anxiety symptoms, HADS > 8.

Bold: Significant p-value (<.05).

Figure 1. Flow of occupation throughout one-year post-stroke.

Table 2. Work situation and work satisfaction (n = 121).

	Premorbid situation	One-year post-stroke	Work satisfaction one year post-stroke, %
Occupation, hrs/wk, %
0	–	28.1	36.4
1–16	14.0	23.1	67.9
17–35	33.9	21.5	76.0
>35	52.1	27.3	90.0

Table 3. Bivariate correlation with return to work one-year post-stroke.

	Spearman (95% CI)	p-value
Demographic factors
Age	−.06 (−.24–.12)	.506
Higher level of education	.13 (−.05–.30)	.155
Stroke-related factors
Independence in ADL	.05 (−.13–.23)	.564
Personal and neuropsychological factors
Passive coping	.03 (−.16–.21)	.781
Self-efficacy	.07 (−.12–.25)	.475
Depressive symptoms	−.16 (−.34–.03)	.092
Anxiety symptoms	−.11 (−.29–.08)	.254
Global cognitive functioning	.19 (.01–.36)	.043

Bold: significant p-value (<.10).

Table 4. Logistic regression model predicting return to work one-year post-stroke.

	B	SE	p-value
Depressive symptoms	−.094	.056	.094
Global cognitive functioning	.149	.075	.048

Note: Explained variance: 11.3%.

Table 5. Global cognitive functioning, place of residence, and return to work (n = 114)^a.

	Return to work	No return to work	Total
At home, n (%)	77 (67.5)	26 (22.8)	103 (90.4)
MoCA, mean (SD)	25.7 (2.7)	23.8 (3.9)
Rehabilitation centre, n, (%)	6 (5.3)	5 (4.4)	11 (9.6)
MoCA, mean (SD)	24.3 (6.0)	27.0 (2.3)
Total, n (%)	83 (72.8)	31 (27.2)

Note: Cognitive functioning and residence at two months post-stroke, return to work one-year post-stroke.

^a7 missings due to missing MoCA scores.