Individuals with stroke three months after hospital discharge reported worse quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2023.107082Get rights and content

Abstract

Purpose

To compare quality of life (QOL) of individuals with stroke three months after hospital discharge, using generic and specific QOL measures, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

Individuals, who were admitted to a public hospital, were recruited and evaluated before (G1) and during (G2) the COVID-19 pandemic. The groups were matched for age, sex, socio-economic status, and levels of stroke severity (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale) and functional dependence (Modified Barthel Index). After three months of hospital discharge, they were evaluated and compared using generic (Short-form Health Survey 36: SF-36) and specific (Stroke Specific Quality of Life: SSQOL) QOL measures.

Results

Seventy individuals were included (35 in each group). Statistically significant between-group differences were found for both total SF-36 (p=0.008) and SSQOL (p=0.001) scores, indicating that individuals reported worse QOL during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, G2 also reported worse generic QOL related to the SF-36 domains of physical functioning, bodily pain, general health perception, and emotional role limitations (p < 0.01) and worse specific QOL related to following SSQOL domains: Family roles, mobility, mood, personality, and social roles (p < 0.05). Finally, G2 reported better QOL related to energy and thinking (p < 0.05) SSQOL domains.

Conclusion

In general, individuals with stroke, who were evaluated during the COVID-19 pandemic three months after hospital discharge, reported worse perceptions of QOL in several domains of both generic and specific QOL measures.

Keywords

Stroke
Quality of life
Pandemics
COVID-19

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Grant support This work was supported by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior [Code #001]; Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais [grants PPM-00496-17 and APQ-00736-20]; Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico [grant # 308516/2021-4]; and Pró-reitoria de Pesquisa da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais [grant #05/2021 and #09/2021].

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