Health-related quality of life and its correlates among individuals with stroke during the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT

Strict safety procedures including lockdowns were adopted during the Corona virus (COVID-19) pandemic worldwide which might have influenced mental and physical health in affected communities. This study aimed to investigate the level of Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and its correlates among individuals with stroke in Jordan during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was a cross-sectional study with a self-administered questionnaire, which included demographics, 12-item Short Form (SF-12) health survey, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS 21), and The Stroke Impact Scale 16 (SIS-16). Descriptive analyses were used to summarize study data. Factors significantly correlated with HRQoL were determined using Pearson correlation. A total of 97 individuals successfully completed the study with a mean age of 57.9 years (±57.9). The level of HRQoL (measured by SF-12) was significantly and negatively associated with mental health symptoms (depression, anxiety, and stress) and the stroke recovery subscale of the SIS-16. Furthermore, participants’ HRQoL level was significantly and positively associated with participants’ age, stroke chronicity, receiving rehabilitation, and amount of help asked from caregivers. Jordanians with stroke demonstrated a relatively low level of HRQoL and high levels of mental health symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare administrators should carefully consider individuals with stroke HRQoL and its correlates while planning for future crises.

KEYWORDS:

• Stroke
• Health-related quality of life
• Depression
• Stress
• Anxiety
• COVID-19

Data availability

This project’s data are available upon reasonable request from the corresponding author.

Ethical approval

All study procedures were approved by the institutional review board (IRB) at Jordan University of Science and Technology (approval number 127/132/2020).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Jordan University of Science and Technology [grant number 20200380].