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Updated: Jun 27, 2025
Quantitative Static and Dynamic Assessment of Balance Control in Stroke Patients
Published on: May 17, 2020
Occupational balance and stroke impact among community-dwelling stroke survivors 65 years or older: a cross-sectional
Araceli Ortiz-Rubio1, Carita Håkansson2, Hélène Pessah Rasmussen3,4
1Division of Occupational Therapy, Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
Introduction:
Occupational balance has been investigated in different populations but less in stroke survivors. Previous studies have focussed on occupational balance among stroke survivors of working age (15-64 years of age), showing they did not perceive they had occupational balance. There is, therefore, a lack of knowledge of how older stroke survivors perceive their occupational balance. The aims of this study were to describe occupational balance in community-dwelling stroke survivors 65 years or older and to investigate if there were any associations between their perceived stroke impact and occupational balance.
Methods:
A cross-sectional study was performed with 58 stroke survivors, with a median age of 75 years at stroke onset and a median time since stroke onset of 11 months. The participants were recruited from a local stroke register and answered questionnaires on occupational balance and stroke impact. Data were analysed with descriptive statistics, correlations and logistic regression.
Results:
The participants had a median score of 29 (min 12 to max 33), indicating a very high occupational balance, a low stroke impact, and a good recovery (median 82.5; min 0 to max 100). An association between participation and occupational balance (OR 1.13; 95% CI 1.04-1.23) was found.
Conclusion:
The stroke survivors perceived a low stroke impact and a high occupational balance. It is possible that older community-dwelling stroke survivors, of whom many have retired, juggle less occupations leaving them with more time to engage in those occupations they want to, leading to a better occupational balance.
