Impact of post-stroke disability and disability-perception on health-related quality of life of stroke survivors: the moderating effect of disability-severity

ABSTRACT

Objective

The influence of disability-perception on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) remains unclear. This study investigated impact of disability and disability-perception on HRQoL of stroke survivors and explores the moderating effect of disability-severity.

Methods

Post-stroke disability, disability-perception/acceptance and HRQoL were assessed in 102 stroke survivors using the World Health Organisation Disability Assessment Schedule, Attitudes towards Disabled Persons Form-A and Short Form-36, respectively.

Results

There was significant disability score of at least 42 in the participants with severe disability accounting for 76.5% while 52% of them having positive disability-perception. Although no sex difference exists in their HRQoL, their score was just fair (46.1 ± 1.9) with their physical health being most affected. Severe disability impacted negatively on their HRQoL but disability-perception had no significant effect except in ‘role limitation due to the emotional problem’ domain. Only severe disability moderated the effects of disability on the overall HRQoL (R² change = 3.2%; p = 0.018). Disability-severity (mild/moderate and severe disability) moderated the effects of disability level on their physical health (R² change = 3.1% and 6%; p = 0.012 and 0.0001, respectively).

Conclusion

Significant disability exists among stroke survivors and impaired their HRQoL while disability-severity moderating the effect. More stroke survivors have positive attitude towards their disability and impact positively on their physical health.

KEYWORDS:

• Post-stroke disability
• disability-perception
• disability-acceptance
• health related quality of life
• moderating effect

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, [OOO], upon reasonable request.

Author contributions

OOO: research idea; study design; planning; data acquisition; data analysis and interpretation and draft the manuscript; MOO: data acquisition and interpretation; CAOG and BSO: data interpretation; KSO: data analysis and interpretation. All authors contributed to important intellectual content during manuscript drafting or revisions. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

The study is self-sponsored. However, Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria provided logistics.