Post-stroke limitations in daily activities: experience from a tertiary care hospital in Ethiopia

The disability of stroke patients remains an important global health problem; yet information on the extent of restriction from basic and instrumental activities of daily living is limited, particularly in lower-and middle-income (LMIC) countries. Therefore, we examined the issue under the caption, since it is the first step in planning several rehabilitation services.

A facility-based cross-sectional study was done to assess the magnitude and predictors of post-stroke limitations in basic activities of daily living (BADL) using the Barthel Index (BI) scale and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) using the Frenchay Activities Index (FAI) scale among patients who visited Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Neurology Clinic from April-October, 2022. All patients having a diagnosis of stroke for more than six months duration were enrolled. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were done, and measures of estimated crude and adjusted odds ratio with 95% CI were constructed and a p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The results are presented in figures and tables.

A total of 150 stroke patients were enrolled in the present study. The mean age of participants was 53 (14.9) years with slight male preponderance (51.3%). Ischemic stroke was present in 106 (70.7%) of them, while 44 (29.3%) had hemorrhagic stroke. Of this, 57 (38%) and 115 (79.3%) of them had limitations in basic and instrumental ADL, respectively. Comorbid cardiac disease (AOR = 6.9; 95%CI = 1.3-37.5) and regular substance use (AOR = 11.1; 95%CI = 1.1-115) were associated with limitations in BADL, while an increase in age (AOR = 1.1; 95%CI = 1.04-1.15) was associated with severe limitations in BADL. Initial stroke severity (AOR = 7.3; 95%CI = 1.2-44.7) was associated with limitations in IADL, whereas depression (AOR = 5.1; 95%CI = 1.1-23.2) was identified as a predictor of severe limitation in IADL.

Limitation in activities of daily living (ADL) after stroke is common among Ethiopian patients. Therefore, screening for post-stroke limitations in daily activities is essential for further management and rehabilitative plans.