Relationship between Demographic and Clinical Factors with Physical Functioning of Stroke Patients / Jurnal Sains Kesihatan Malaysia

Stroke is a causal factor that commonly caused physical impairments and activity limitations among patients to perform daily activities until at certain level stroke patients will experience disability. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship of each demographic and clinical factors that is believed to associate with physical functioning of patients those who experienced stroke. This present study also try to compare physical functioning of patients with associated factors and then examine the correlation between those factors with physical functioning. A total of 147 respondents that pass for cognitive screening test involved in this study. Barthel Index (ADL) was administered to the respondents after 6 weeks of stroke attack in order to measure their physical functioning status. Results found that there was a significant difference [F(3, 143) = 4.06; p < 0.01] between level of educations with physical functioning of patients. With respect to clinical factors also showed a significant difference (p < 0.01) was higher in physical functioning when stroke attack occurred at right hemisphere of brain. There was a significant difference (p < 0.01) in physical functioning with respect to belief of recovery. Furthermore, number of stroke attack also showed a significant difference [F(1, 145) = 11.19; [p < 0.01] in physical functioning of patients. Correlation test that was carried out found a positive significant correlation (r = 0.24; p < 0.01) between physical functioning with respect to the affected lesion side. In conclusion, demographic and clinical factors also played the roles to determine level of physical functioning among stroke patients and thus these factors should be considered in any studies that intended to enhance physical functioning of patients in future.

The Ability of Recovery Locus of Control Scale (RLOC) and Post-traumatic Stress Symptoms (PTSS) to Predict the Physical Functioning of Stroke Patients

Background: The aim of this study was to address the ability of the recovery locus of control scale (RLOC) and post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) to predict physical functioning among stroke patients. In addition, the best predictors within the subdomains of the RLOC and PTSS were also investigated. Methods: A total of 147 stroke patients aged 33–85 years who had intact cognitive functioning were involved in the study. The Recovery Locus of Control Scale (RLOC), the Impact of Event Scale- Revised (IES-R), and the Barthel Index (ADL) were administered to respondents six weeks after stroke. Results: The results showed that the RLOC and PTSS were significant predictors and were capable of predicting 31% of the physical functioning of stroke patients (adjusted R2 = 0.31; P < 0.001). Furthermore, with respect to clinical factors, the affected lesion side contributed to predicting 7% of the physical functioning (R2 = 0.07; P < 0.001). A hierarchical regression analysis found that the internal recovery locus of control (IRLOC) was a predictor capable of explaining 18% of the predicted physical functioning (adjusted R2 = 0.18; P < 0.001). Meanwhile, avoidance was the most influential significant predictor among PTSS, contributing to 24% of the predicting physical functioning (adjusted R2 = 0.24; P < 0.001). Conclusion: In conclusion, the RLOC and PTSS were capable of predicting physical functioning among stroke patients.