Increased quality of life in patients with stroke during the COVID-19 pandemic: a matched-pair study

Li Zhao,Bo Qu,Bing Xu,Guoyuan Sui,Xiaoshi Yang,Yi Sui,Fengzhi Yang

doi:10.1038/s41598-021-89746-8

Abstract

Patients with stroke are likely to experience impaired health-related quality of life (QOL), especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to evaluate the QOL of Chinese patients with stroke during the pandemic and explore the associated variables. A matched-pair, multicenter survey was conducted before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Questionnaires including the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), the Activities of Daily Living (ADL) scale, and the Questionnaire about the Process of Recovery (QPR) were used. A total of 172 matched pairs (344 patients) were recruited in this study. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was performed to analyze variables associated with QOL. Physical and mental component scores (PCS and MCS) were higher among the stroke patients during the pandemic (44.20 ± 18.92 and 54.24 ± 19.08) than before the pandemic (37.98 ± 14.52 and 43.50 ± 20.94). Pandemic stress, demographic and clinical characteristics were negative variables associated with PCS and MCS. QPR was positively associated with PCS and MCS. The QOL of Chinese stroke patients was higher during than before the COVID-19 pandemic. Pandemic stress aggravated stroke patients’ QOL, while personal recovery could alleviate the detrimental effect of pandemic stress on QOL for stroke patients.

Highlights

Patients with stroke are likely to experience impaired health-related quality of life (QOL), especially during the COVID-19 pandemic
We conducted a survey on the QOL of patients with stroke in the second half of 2019, but it was interrupted by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic
Our study had to be postponed until April 2020, and the study was by chance the first to compare the QOL of patients with stroke before and during the COVID-19 outbreak

Summary

Introduction

Patients with stroke are likely to experience impaired health-related quality of life (QOL), especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to evaluate the QOL of Chinese patients with stroke during the pandemic and explore the associated variables. Physical and mental component scores (PCS and MCS) were higher among the stroke patients during the pandemic (44.20 ± 18.92 and 54.24 ± 19.08) than before the pandemic (37.98 ± 14.52 and 43.50 ± 20.94). The QOL of Chinese stroke patients was higher during than before the COVID-19 pandemic. Strokes cause physical and psychological problems and can have a great impact on patients’ quality of life (QOL). The QOL of stroke patients during the COVID-19 pandemic and the factors influencing this have not yet been studied, and this is an area in need of further exploration. Research has shown that psychological interventions and rehabilitation training are effective for stroke rehabilitation and may further improve patients’ Q OL11

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