What Are the Consistent Predictors of Generic and Specific Post-stroke Health-related Quality of Life?

Background: In order to improve post-stroke health-related quality of life (HRQOL), it is crucial to focus scarce health care and research resources towards its consistent determinants. Disparities in reported determinants of post-stroke HRQOL may be due to the use of different instruments (generic or specific) in different populations. This is the first study to identify factors which consistently influenced both generic and specific post-stroke HRQOL in the same study population.

Methods: One hundred consecutive consenting stroke survivors were assessed using the stroke levity scale (SLS), modified Rankin scale (mRS), SF-36 and HRQOL in stroke patients (HRQOLISP) measure. Employing multiple regression analysis (R(2) = 0.63), potential predictors were sought among age, gender, socioeconomic class (SEC), aphasia, post-stroke duration, side, type and number of strokes, SLS, mRS, social support and Likert scale-graded responses to laughter and negative-feeling frequency.

Results: Gender, SEC and stroke type had no significant impact on HRQOL. The consistent independent statistical predictors of several facets of generic and stroke-specific HRQOL were stroke severity, disability, laughter and negative-feeling frequencies.

Conclusions: While stroke severity, a component of physical health, impaired psychological health, psychological dysfunction in turn negatively influenced physical and other domains of health, thereby creating a vicious cycle. These multidirectional interactions may involve neural, social and existential mechanisms which remain to be confirmed, elucidated and exploited.