School of Kinesiology, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.
Int J Qual Stud Health Well-being. 2024 Dec;19(1):2331431. doi: 10.1080/17482631.2024.2331431. Epub 2024 Mar 21.
The purpose of this study was to explore the personal stroke and rehabilitation experiences of older adults with chronic stroke living in a mid-sized Northwestern Ontario city in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A qualitative descriptive approach with a constructivist worldview was used. In addition, a semi-structured interview guide was used to gather the participants' perspectives on their experiences throughout stroke recovery. Ten participants were interviewed, including six males and four females. The interviews were completed, transcribed, and analysed using inductive and deductive content analysis. Multiple steps were taken to enhance data trustworthiness.
Six main themes and eight related subthemes emerged. These included: getting help is complex, the effects of stroke are multifaceted, losing rehabilitation services during the COVID-19 pandemic, overcoming hardships but not alone, "If you don't use it, you lost it": rehabilitative success is based on one's actions, and "look at me now": the importance of taking pride in one's successes.
One unique finding was that the participants used this study as an opportunity to teach and advocate for future stroke survivors which is not often seen in qualitative stroke rehabilitation research. Future stroke research should place emphasis on both the positive and negative experiences of this population.
本研究旨在探索 COVID-19 大流行期间，居住在加拿大安大略省中西部一个中等城市的慢性中风老年患者的个人中风和康复经历。
采用定性描述方法和建构主义世界观。此外，还使用半结构化访谈指南收集参与者对中风康复过程中个人经历的看法。共访谈了 10 名参与者，其中包括 6 名男性和 4 名女性。采用归纳和演绎内容分析法对访谈进行转录和分析。采取了多个步骤来提高数据可信度。
出现了六个主要主题和八个相关子主题。这些主题包括：获得帮助很复杂、中风的影响是多方面的、在 COVID-19 大流行期间失去康复服务、克服困难但并非孤身一人、“不用则废”：康复成功基于个人行动、“看看现在的我”：为自己的成功感到自豪的重要性。
一个独特的发现是，参与者利用本研究的机会为未来的中风幸存者提供教学和宣传，这在定性中风康复研究中并不常见。未来的中风研究应重点关注该人群的积极和消极经历。
