Health-related quality of life of community-dwelling stroke survivors: A comparison of fallers and non-fallers

Abstract

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to compare the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of stroke survivors between fallers and non-fallers. [Subjects] The subjects were community-dwelling stroke patients (n = 4,560) in South Korea. All stroke patients were diagnosed by a doctor. [Methods] This study used raw data from the 2014 Korean Community Health Survey. The survey was conducted from August 16, 2014, to October 31, 2014. Trained surveyors visited households selected from the sample and conducted face-to-face interviews. The content of the survey included demographic data and HRQOL. [Results] Fallers were 1,425 (31.25%), non-fallers 3,125 (68.53%), and 10 (0.22%) answered unknown. Gender, living status, occupation, and smoking experience differed significantly between the fallers and non-fallers. The domains of HRQOL, excluding VAS, also differed significantly between the fallers and non-fallers. [Conclusion] These results provide important base data for rehabilitation services for fallers among stroke survivors.