An investigation of factors influencing the participation of stroke survivors in social and leisure activities

Abstract

Objective: Participation restrictions are serious problems that stroke survivors experience while reintegrating into family, work, community, and social situations after participating in rehabilitation programs. The purpose of this study was to explore the factors affecting participation in activities of daily living (ADL), as well as social and leisure activities of individuals with hemiparetic stroke. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: The study involved 96 participants who were diagnosed with a first stroke 6 months before the study (58 men, 38 women; 60.3±14.3 years). The Berg Balance Scale, Modified Barthel Index, Manual Function test, and Activity Card Sort were used to assess static and dynamic balance function, upper limb function, level of independence, and their level of participation within the community. A regression analysis was used to identify the influence of factors affecting participation in ADL, social and recreational activities. Results: The Activity Card Sort scores were significantly affected by the Manual Function test and Modified Barthel Index scores (p<0.05). Participation in leisure activities was affected by the level of independence. Participation in social activities was affected by the balance function and level of independence of the participants. Conclusions: The results of this study have shown that participation restrictions are affected by upper limb function, balance function, and the level of independence in individuals with hemiparetic stroke.