Examination of the relationship between perceived fatigue and occupational balance among individuals with stroke

Fatigue is a common and debilitating consequence of stroke that may negatively affect occupational balance, a key component of meaningful engagement in daily life and well-being. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 192 individuals with stroke recruited from Kocaeli University Hospital. Participants completed the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) and the Turkish version of the Occupational Balance Questionnaire (OBQ11-T). Spearman and Pearson correlation analyses were performed, followed by multiple linear regression. The primary Spearman analysis showed a weak and non-significant association between fatigue severity and occupational balance (ρ = -.064, p = .376), whereas the complementary Pearson analysis indicated a weak but statistically significant negative association (r = -.24, p < .001). The regression model was not statistically significant and accounted for only a small proportion of the variance in occupational balance (R² = .018, p = .766). Overall, the evidence for an association between fatigue and occupational balance was limited and inconsistent across analytical approaches. These findings highlight the importance of considering occupational balance as a multidimensional outcome and support further investigation of psychosocial and contextual factors in stroke rehabilitation.