Okoye Emmanuel Chiebuka, Okoro Sandra Chioma, Akosile Christopher Olusanjo, Onwuakagba Ifeoma Uchenna, Ihegihu Ebere Yvonne, Ihegihu Chima Collins
Department of Medical Rehabilitation, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nnewi Campus, Nnewi, Anambra, Nigeria.
Department of Physiotherapy, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Anambra, Nigeria.
Scand J Caring Sci. 2019 Sep;33(3):641-650. doi: 10.1111/scs.12657. Epub 2019 Feb 7.
Stroke is highly debilitating and requires long-term care. Informal caregivers of stroke survivors play important roles in stroke rehabilitation. Caring for stroke survivors can negatively affect the caregivers' well-being and may adversely impact on their caregiving quality and subsequently on stroke survivors' well-being. There seems to be a dearth of research on the relationships between caregivers' and stroke survivors' well-being.
This study was designed to determine the relationships among informal caregivers' burden and quality of life (QOL) and stroke survivors' QOL and community reintegration.
This ethically certified cross-sectional survey involved 82 stroke survivors (mean age = 60.48 ± 11.13 years) and their 82 primary caregivers (mean age = 36.13 ± 13.69 years) consecutively recruited from seven conveniently sampled tertiary hospitals in Nigeria. Caregivers Strain Index, Igbo-culture adapted Maleka Stroke Community Reintegration Measure and Short-Form 36-item Health Survey questionnaires were used to assess the caregivers' burden, survivors' community reintegration and QOL (of survivors and caregivers), respectively. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Spearman rank, Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests at alpha level of 0.05.
The mean stroke survivors' community reintegration and QOL were 34.05 ± 21.54% and 34.93 ± 16 ± 49%, respectively. The mean caregivers' QOL and burden scores were 74.49 ± 12.61% and 9.13 ± 3.18, respectively. About 80.5% of the caregivers experienced significant burden. Stroke survivors' QOL and community reintegration, and caregivers' QOL and burden significantly correlated with one another (p < 0.05). Poststroke duration, survivor-caregiver cohabitation duration, survivors' community-dwelling duration and daily care-giving hours significantly correlated with each of stroke survivors' community reintegration and QOL, and caregivers' burden and QOL (p < 0.05).
Stroke survivors' community reintegration and QOL were poor while caregivers' had moderate QOL and high prevalence of significant burden. Significant correlations exist between caregivers' well-being and stroke survivors' QOL and community reintegration. Interventions targeted at reducing caregivers' burden may help improve both caregivers and survivors' well-being.
中风具有高度致残性，需要长期护理。中风幸存者的非正式照料者在中风康复中发挥着重要作用。照顾中风幸存者会对照料者的幸福感产生负面影响，可能会对他们的照料质量产生不利影响，进而影响中风幸存者的幸福感。关于照料者与中风幸存者幸福感之间的关系，似乎缺乏相关研究。
本研究旨在确定非正式照料者的负担与生活质量（QOL）、中风幸存者的QOL和社区重新融入之间的关系。
这项经过伦理认证的横断面调查连续招募了82名中风幸存者（平均年龄 = 60.48 ± 11.13岁）及其82名主要照料者（平均年龄 = 36.13 ± 13.69岁），这些参与者来自尼日利亚七家方便抽样的三级医院。分别使用照料者压力指数、伊博文化适应的马莱卡中风社区重新融入量表和36项简短健康调查问卷来评估照料者的负担、幸存者的社区重新融入情况以及（幸存者和照料者的）QOL。使用描述性统计、Spearman秩相关、Mann-Whitney U检验和Kruskal-Wallis检验对数据进行分析，显著性水平为0.05。
中风幸存者的社区重新融入平均水平和QOL分别为34.05 ± 21.54%和34.93 ± 16 ± 49%。照料者的QOL平均得分和负担得分分别为74.49 ± 12.61%和9.13 ± 3.18。约80.5%的照料者经历了显著负担。中风幸存者的QOL和社区重新融入、照料者的QOL和负担之间存在显著相关性（p < 0.05）。中风后持续时间、幸存者与照料者共同居住时间、幸存者在社区居住时间和日常照料时长与中风幸存者的社区重新融入和QOL以及照料者的负担和QOL均显著相关（p < 0.05）。
中风幸存者的社区重新融入和QOL较差，而照料者的QOL中等且显著负担发生率较高。照料者的幸福感与中风幸存者的QOL和社区重新融入之间存在显著相关性。旨在减轻照料者负担的干预措施可能有助于改善照料者和幸存者的幸福感。
