Are Carepartner Factors Associated with Stroke Survivor Gait and Quality of Life

Research Objectives: To examine the relationships among family carepartner factors and stroke survivor gait and social participation after chronic stroke.

Design: Descriptive analysis of baseline data from ongoing stroke carepartner-integrated therapy trial

Setting: Outpatient clinic

Participants: Carepartner and stroke survivor dyads (n=16). Carepartners were 62.5% female; 87.5% spouses; age 60.1 +12.1 years; stroke survivors were > 9 months post-stroke (43.8% female, age 63.9+11.5 years)

Interventions: N/A

Main Outcome Measures: Bakas Caregiver Outcome Scale (BCOS), Caregiver Strain Index (CSI), Family Caregiver Conflict around Stroke Recovery Scale, Family Care Climate Questionnaire, Timed up and Go (TUG), Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC), gait speed, and Stroke Impact Scale (SIS). Data analysis included descriptive statistics and Pearson product-moment correlations, significance set at p-values <.05.

Results: Carepartners reported high levels of strain (56.2%), and a majority experienced some family conflict around recovery. Higher family conflict was related to higher carepartner strain (r = 0.59) and worse carepartner life changes since stroke (BCOS; r = -0.53). Average gait measures were TUG scores 30.63(+7.58) seconds, gait speed 0.66(+0.09) m/s and social participation 48.63(+6.16). Slower stroke survivor TUG scores were related to higher family conflict (r = 0.73), worse carepartner life changes (r = -0.52), and worse stroke survivor balance self-efficacy (ABC; r = 0.61). Lower stroke survivor social participation was related to lower balance self-efficacy (r = 0.71), slower walking speed (r = 0.61) and TUG scores (r = -0.52), as well as higher strain (r = -0.54) and worse life changes (r = 0.49) in the carepartner.

Conclusions: In addition to stroke survivor physical capacity and balance self-efficacy, evaluating carepartner strain and family conflict may improve our understanding of stroke survivor social participation. These findings underscore the significance of addressing both the needs of stroke survivors and their carepartners in rehabilitation to optimize outcomes.

Author(s) Disclosures: Funding Acknowledgements – 2021 Paris Patla Physical Therapy Research Grant, Foundation for Physical Therapy Research. 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 110, Alexandria, VA 22305-3085 Registration Number: NCT 05257928. The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.