Changes in Health-related Quality of Life in Incipient Stroke Survivors

Objective To assess the long-term changes in quality of life of stroke patients. Methods A total of 467 stroke survivors were recruited for this study. The participants completed the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) at a three-month interval over two years. Multi-level modelling was performed to identify the trend of changes and associated demographic characteristics. Results The participants had (31.50±10.49) PCS and (51.92±10.03) MCS at the baseline survey. Overall, PCS and MCS scores increased over time, but MCS scores declined slightly 15 months later. Men had higher PCS scores than women.The multi-level model revealed similar trends of PCS changes in those with different gender and education.Older patients had slower changes in quality of life over time (\β9=－0.013，\P=0.03) compared with their younger counterparts.The trends of MCS changes were similar among those with different age, gender and education. Conclusion Support should be strengthened for female stroke survivors and those with older age and lower levels of education.