Abstract:
Background: Stroke is the third leading cause of disability worldwide. In Sri Lanka, it was
reported as the most important cause of adult disability. The level of dependence is an
independent predictor of the post-stroke Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL).
Moreover, assessment of post stroke level of dependence is necessary when planning
rehabilitation interventions. The Barthel Index has been widely used to assess functional
outcome or activities of daily living of patients with stroke.
Objectives: This study was aimed to assess the level of dependence of patients with stroke.
Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Teaching Hospital,
Karapitiya with the participation of 257 patients with stroke. The convenient sampling
method was used to collect data. The BI was used to assess the level dependence. The
maximal score is 100 indicating that the patient is fully independent in physical functioning.
Patients were further categorized to totally dependent (score 0-20), severely dependent (21-
60), moderately dependent (61-90) and slightly dependent (score between 91-99) based on
the overall score. Propotions of the level of dependence were calculated using SPSS version
20.
Results and conclusions: The mean age of the participants was 66.05 (range 33-80 years),
(SD±11.66) with two-thirds of the study sample comprising males [61% (n=157)] . Out of
the study participants, 16.7% (n=43) were totally dependent for Activities of Daily Living
(ADL). The percentages of severely dependent, moderately dependent and slightly
dependent were 42.4% (n=109), 36.6% (n=94), and 3.1% (n=8) respectively. Only 1.2%
(n=3) was completely physically independent at the time of discharge. The age and the
quality of life scores were significantly correlated with the BI total score (p<0.05). High
level of dependence at the time of hospital discharge emphasizes the need for proper
rehabilitation care. The findings of this study suggest the necessity of implementation of
community-based rehabilitation and post-stroke care facilities.
