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Observational Study
. 2025 Jan 27;23(1):8.
doi: 10.1186/s12955-025-02337-3.

Relationship between social support, functional outcomes and health-related quality of life in working-aged adults at three months after ischemic stroke: results from the FRAILTY study

Elena Gurková  1 , Daniela Bartoníčková  2 , Daniel Šaňák  3 , Šárka Šaňáková  1 , Jana Zapletalová  4 , Lenka Štureková  1
Affiliations
Observational Study

Relationship between social support, functional outcomes and health-related quality of life in working-aged adults at three months after ischemic stroke: results from the FRAILTY study

Elena Gurková et al. Health Qual Life Outcomes. .

Abstract

Background: The relationship between social support and functional outcomes and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) after ischemic stroke (IS) remains unclear, especially in working-aged patients.

Aim: To assess the relationship between perceived social support, functional outcomes, post-stroke psychosocial symptoms, and HRQoL in working-aged adults three months after IS.

Methods: A prospective and correlational design was used. Patients of working age (18-65 years) admitted for first-ever IS were enrolled in the prospective FRAILTY (Factors Affecting the Quality of Life After Ischemic Stroke in Young Adults) study (NCT04839887). HRQoL (using the Stroke Impact Scale, Quality of Life in Neurological Disorders), social support (using the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support), functional outcomes (using a modified Rankin Scale-mRS), and post-stroke psychosocial symptoms were assessed three months after IS. Descriptive statistics, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, Spearman's correlations and multiple linear regression were used for analysis.

Results: A total of 121 (54.5% males, mean age 51.7 ± 8.4 years) IS patients were analyzed. Of those, 87.7% had excellent clinical outcomes (mRS 0-1) after three months. Patients reported significant improvement in all domains of self-reported HRQoL except memory and communication after three months. The overall perceived social support was not associated with HRQoL domains. Post-stroke depression was negatively associated with all domains of HRQoL. Living arrangements (living alone) and post-stroke depression were negatively associated with perceived social support after IS.

Conclusions: More insight into the relationship between variables of HRQoL in working-aged adults might increase their social participation, strengthen supportive relationships, and promote their recovery and rehabilitation process. Focusing on the management of emotional problems and supporting functional outcomes may be modifiable factors that may represent targets for strategies to improve the HRQoL. Further research is needed to clarify the relationship between pre-stroke perceived social support and its types and post-stroke psychosocial symptoms in the long term.

Keywords: Functional outcomes; Health-related quality of life; Ischemic stroke; Social support; Working age.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Approval for the study was granted by the Ethics Committee of the University Hospital Olomouc and Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University Olomouc: Approval Number NU22-09-00021, dated 6/2021. All enrolled patients gave signed informed consent. Confidentiality and anonymity were carefully preserved in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration. We are not aware of any conflict of interest relating to this article. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Study flowchart of patients' enrolment for the study analysis
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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