The Factors Associated With Health-Related Quality of Life in Stroke Survivors Age 40 and Older

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between clinical and socio-demographic status and health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) in stroke survivors age 40 and older in the Korean population. METHODS: The relationship between stroke and HR-QoL was investigated using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES), conducted from 2007–2012. The total number of respondents was 24,050 and 757 stroke survivors were included. Specifically, we investigated factors associated with the lowering of HR-QoL in a group of Korean adult stroke patients age 40 and older after adjusting for socio-demographic factors, anthropometric measurements, and clinical comorbidities. Adjusted effects of covariates on EuroQol-visual analog scales (EQ-VAS) scores were estimated with a complex-samples general linear model and multivariate-adjusted odds ratios of the lowest quintile versus highest quintile of the EQ-VAS scores in the stroke group were estimated with a complex-samples logistic regression model. RESULTS: Socio-demographic, anthropometric factors, and clinical comorbidities significantly differed between the stroke and non-stroke groups, except regarding gender and residential area. The EQ-VAS was significantly lower in the stroke than non-stroke group. Anxiety/depression problems significantly lowered EQ-VAS, as did low education level, smoking, mobility and usual activities problems. Also, aging in 1-year increments and cardiovascular disease had a significant effect on lower EQ-VAS in stroke survivors. CONCLUSION: People with a stroke have significantly lower HR-QoL than healthy subjects. Therefore, managing depression, smoking, or cardiovascular disease and maintenance of physical function may be priority goals in improving HR-QoL after a stroke.