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. 2023 May;32(5):107082.
doi: 10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2023.107082. Epub 2023 Mar 13.

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

Camila Lima Gervásio Mendes  1 , Marcela Aline Fernandes Braga  2 , Edvânia Andrade de Moura Silva  2 , Aline Alvim Scianni  3 , Luci Fuscaldi Teixeira-Salmela  4 , Kênia Kiefer Parreiras de Menezes  5 , Iza de Faria-Fortini  6 , Christina Danielli Coelho de Morais Faria  7
Affiliations

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

Camila Lima Gervásio Mendes et al. J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis. 2023 May.

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: COVID-19; Pandemics; Quality of life; Stroke.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Competing Interest There are no conflicts of interest involved.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig. 1
Flow of participants.
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