Quality of life and associated factors among poststroke clinic attendees at a University Teaching Hospital in Nigeria.
BACKGROUND
Quality of life (QOL) measures are effective in quantifying disease burden after stroke, more so than levels of debility. The objective of this study is to determine QOL and associated factors of stroke survivors in Lagos, Nigeria.


METHODS
Seventy stroke survivors (study sample) and seventy stable hypertensive patients (control sample) attending clinics at a Nigerian hospital were recruited for the study. Respondents were assessed using sociodemographic/clinical questionnaires, modified mini-mental state examination, modified Rankin Scale, schedule for clinical assessment in neuropsychiatry, and World Health Organization-QOL-BREF.


RESULTS
Mean ages of the study and control respondents were 57.43 (±9.67) years and 57.33 (±9.33) years, respectively. Each sample comprised 38 male and 32 female respondents. Stroke survivors were significantly more likely to: be unemployed (P= 0.001), pay more for healthcare (P= 0.001), consume alcohol (P= 0.02), and have physical impairments (P= 0.001) compared with control. The mean QOL scores of stroke survivors were significantly lower than controls across all spheres. Stroke survivors who were unemployed, younger, female, paying more for healthcare, more disabled, with right stroke lateralization, having comorbidities, and sexual dysfunction had significantly poorer QOL specific grades. Depression or anxiety poststroke was also associated with reduced QOL means scores.


CONCLUSIONS
Besides, clinical variables such as levels of disability and stroke lesion lateralization, other factors such as unemployment, health costs, age, gender, and emotional problems influenced QOL after stroke.
Department of Psychiatry, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria.
Osunwale Dahunsi
OD
Oni
Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria.
Olatunji F
OF
Aina
Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria.
Francis I
FI
Ojini
Department of Psychiatry, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria.
Victor O
VO
Olisah
Associated factors; Nigeria; University Teaching Hospital; clinic attendees; poststroke; quality of life