Occupational balance and stroke impact among community-dwelling stroke survivors 65 years or older: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Introduction: Occupational balance has been investigated in different populations but less in stroke survivors. Previous studies have focussed on occupational balance among stroke survivors of working age (15–64 years of age), showing they did not perceive they had occupational balance. There is, therefore, a lack of knowledge of how older stroke survivors perceive their occupational balance. The aims of this study were to describe occupational balance in community-dwelling stroke survivors 65 years or older and to investigate if there were any associations between their perceived stroke impact and occupational balance. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed with 58 stroke survivors, with a median age of 75 years at stroke onset and a median time since stroke onset of 11 months. The participants were recruited from a local stroke register and answered questionnaires on occupational balance and stroke impact. Data were analysed with descriptive statistics, correlations and logistic regression. Results: The participants had a median score of 29 (min 12 to max 33), indicating a very high occupational balance, a low stroke impact, and a good recovery (median 82.5; min 0 to max 100). An association between participation and occupational balance (OR 1.13; 95% CI 1.04–1.23) was found. Conclusion: The stroke survivors perceived a low stroke impact and a high occupational balance. It is possible that older community-dwelling stroke survivors, of whom many have retired, juggle less occupations leaving them with more time to engage in those occupations they want to, leading to a better occupational balance. PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY People who have a stroke can experience difficulties with managing everyday activities, including performance of a specific task but also to have a balance between activities that are needed and those that are enjoyed. Previous studies have showed that stroke survivors in working age did not perceive they had a balance in their daily activities, but similar studies in older stroke survivors were lacking. This study therefore described balance in daily activities in 58 community-dwelling stroke survivors 65 years or older. The participants answered questionnaires on balance in daily activities and what impact the stroke had in their life. The results showed that they had a very high balance in daily activities and a low stroke impact and perceived a good stroke recovery. Our conclusion is that because many of the older community-dwelling stroke survivors are retired, they therefore have more time to spend on activities they want to engage in. Since they can decide themselves how their time will be spent, this can explain why they experience a better balance in daily activities. Future studies should include a larger number of participants. Still, we believe that since this is a new research area, the results are interesting for researchers and clinicians in this field.