title: Long-term health states relevant to young persons with stroke living in the community in southern Stockholm - a study of self-rated disability and predicting factors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose was to explore self-rated long-term disability and to analyze whether initial stroke-related, personal and environmental factors can predict disability in a population-based sample of community-dwelling young (<65 years) persons suffering a stroke in 2000-2006.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data on initial stroke-related, personal and environmental factors were retrieved from medical records. A study-specific posted questionnaire was used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 158 young persons with stroke, 78% had suffered a mild stroke. Tiredness was the most commonly reported mental impairment (86%) followed by impaired memory (67%). A majority reported limitations/restrictions in returning to leisure activities (58%) and work (52%). Stroke-related, personal and environmental factors failed to predict self-reported mental and physical impairments, but predicted activity limitations/participation restrictions with an acceptable power of accuracy (0.70-0.73) but a low sensitivity (0.28-0.59).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A majority of these young persons were diagnosed with a mild stroke but experienced long-term mental impairments and activity limitations/participation restrictions that could not be predicted by initial stroke-related, personal and environmental factors solely. Therefore, regular long-term assessments irrespective of initial stroke severity are warranted in order to identify disabilities and improve the state of health among young persons with stroke when needed.
authors.affiliation: Division of Physiotherapy, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden. susanne.palmcrantz@ki.se
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Palmcrantz
authors.forename: Lotta Widén
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Holmqvist
authors.forename: Disa K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Sommerfeld
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011788:Quality of Life; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D057566:Self Report; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D020521:Stroke / Q000523:psychology; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden; D013997:Time Factors