Stroke Specific Health-related Quality of Life and Associated Socio- demographic Factors among Stroke Survivors in Selected Teaching Hospitals in Western Province, Sri Lanka

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.