[Relationship between quality of life and social support in stroke patients]

ABSTRACT

Stroke patients face to various physical, sensory, mental, psychological and social problems that have a negative effect on quality of life. The aim of this study was to determine relationship between quality of life and social support in stroke patients. This was a correlational study in which the study population consisted of the stroke patients in Marageh, the city in werstern Iran. Convenience sampling was used through which 106 patients who had entrance criteria were selected; and data were collected through interviewing based on quality of life and social support instruments. Then, data were analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics using the SPSS software [Version 15]. The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests. The results indicated that quality of life and social support were optimal in 70.8% and 82.1% of stroke patients, respectively and there was a statistically significant positive relationship between these two variables [P<0.002, r=0.3]. Regarding quality of life subsections; quality in social and physical dimensions was desirable in respectively 97.2% and 63.2% of patients, while quality in psychological dimension was undesirable in half of them. In social support subsections, optimal emotional support was found in 96.2% of samples; and the impact of instrumental and informational support on quality of life were not found to be statistically significant. Nearly, one third of the patients didn't have optimal quality of life and social support, and regarding to positive relationship between these two concepts, specially the relationship between emotional support and quality of life, it is suggested that health care policy makers and managers consider emotional support in order to improve quality of life in stroke patients and also pay attention to increasing instrumental and informational support