The Impact Of Illness Perceptions On Post-Stroke Activity Engagement And The Moderating Role Of Gender

Research Objectives

The objective of the study was to describe the illness perceptions of community-dwelling individuals with stroke in the first two years post-stroke. Specifically, it was to examine whether illness perceptions are associated with activity engagement and to explore the moderating role of gender in this relationship.

Design

This study used a cross-sectional design.

Setting

Various rehabilitation settings in Beijing, China, including 4 hospital-based rehabilitation outpatient clinics, 2 rehabilitation centers, and 2 community rehabilitation health stations.

Participants

202 community-dwelling individuals with stroke in the first two years post-stroke.

Interventions

Not applicable.

Main Outcome Measures

The Stroke-Specific Illness Perceptions Questionnaire-Revised was used to measure illness perceptions and the Assessment of Life Habits was used to measure activity engagement at the personal and societal levels.

Results

Stronger perceptions of consequences and controllability were related to better performance in activity engagement at the personal level; stronger perceptions of coherence were related to better performance in activity engagement at the societal level. In addition, gender differences in the relationship between illness perceptions and activity engagement were described.

Conclusions

How stroke individuals perceived their conditions dictated their levels of activity engagement in their community of residence.

Author(s) Disclosures

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.