Social Support as a Predictor of Community Participation After Stroke

This study aimed to examine the independent contribution of perceived social support to participation 3 months post discharge from inpatient stroke rehabilitation. This study was a secondary analysis of the Stroke Recovery in Underserved Populations 2005–2006 data. Participants were adults ≥55 years old, living in the community 3 months post discharge from inpatient rehabilitation for ischemic stroke (n = 422). Hierarchical linear regressions were performed. The primary variables of interest were the PAR-PRO Measure of Home and Community Participation and the Duke–University of North Carolina Functional Social Support Questionnaire. Perceived social support at discharge from inpatient rehabilitation for ischemic stroke contributed uniquely to the variance in participation 3 months later (β = 0.396, P < 0.001) after controlling for race, sex, age, years of education, comorbidities, stroke symptoms, depression, FIM Motor, and FIM Cognitive. Social support accounted for 12.2% of the variance in participation and was the strongest predictor of participation relative to the other independently significant predictors in the model including FIM Motor and depression. There is already a focus on caregiver training during inpatient rehabilitation related to basic self-care, transfers, and medical management. These findings suggest the need for rehabilitation professionals to also address social support during discharge planning in the context of promoting participation. Given...
Source: Frontiers in Neurology - Category: Neurology Source Type: research