Abstract:
Background: Stroke is a major global health concern, ranking second in mortality and
contributing significantly to long-term disability. Health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) is a
key post-stroke outcome indicator. According to World Health Organisation, stroke accounts for
approximately 11% of annual deaths in Sri Lanka.
Objective: To assess the level of HR-QoL and sociodemographic factors among stroke survivors
in selected Teaching Hospitals in Western Province, Sri Lanka
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 206 stroke survivors, 3
months to 1-year post-stroke, selected via convenience sampling from stroke units and neurology
clinics at the National Hospital Colombo and Colombo North Teaching Hospital. Data were
collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire including socio-demographic
information and the Stroke-Specific Quality of Life (SS-QoL) scale. The SS-QoL was translated
into Sinhala and Tamil using forward-backward translation and validated by two consultant
neurologists. Pre-testing involved 22 participants. The SS-QoL showed strong reliability
(Cronbach’s α ≥0.73). This study adopted SS-QoL scoring from Indian and Chinese contexts-
low (49-120), moderate (121-180), and high (181-245) QoL-and analysed data using SPSS
version 21.0 with descriptive and inferential statistics.
Results: Among the 206 participants (response rate: 95.7%), the mean±SD age was 60.34
±10.95; 42.7% were females, 57.3% were males, and 89.8% were married. Most had education
up to G.C.E.O/L (48.1%), were Sinhala (80%), Buddhist (71.8%), and employed (75.2%). Most
participants (69.9%) earned less than 50,000 LKR per month. Quality of life (QoL) varied
significantly, with 24.3% of participants reporting low QoL, 45.1% moderate QoL, and 30.6%
high QoL. Financial stability was a significant factor influencing QoL, with higher income levels
correlating with better post-stroke outcomes (χ²=13.677, p=0.008). Other socio-demographic
factors, including age, gender, and education, showed no significant associations with QoL.
Conclusion: The HR-QoL of the survivors was moderate. Financial stability significantly
influenced QoL, highlighting the need for economic support in post-stroke care.
