Abstract
Introduction: The World Health Organization defines quality of life as an individual’s perception of their position in life within the context of the culture and value systems in which they live, and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards, and concerns. The aim of this study was to assess the quality of life of individuals following ischemic stroke in relation to their functional capacity.
Materials and methods: A survey was conducted among 50 patients after ischemic stroke and a control group of 50 healthy individuals. The research method was a diagnostic survey, and data were collected using the SF-36 quality of life questionnaire and the Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale.
Results: The mean age of the patients was 68.42 ±11.6 years. The average quality of life scores in both the physical (M = 43.6, SD ±12.0) and mental domains (M = 36.9, SD ±11.2) were significantly lower than those of the healthy control group (physical domain: M = 90.5, SD ±13.8; mental domain: M = 45.7, SD ±5.4). A negative correlation was found between functional capacity and quality of life in the physical health domain, associated with the presence of pain symptoms (r = –0.59; p < 0.0001).
Conclusions: Quality of life is significantly reduced in patients following ischemic stroke, and functional capacity is closely related to quality of life in both the physical and mental domains.