A preliminary study of health-related quality of life of Chinese stroke patients

Aims: Studies on Quality of Life (QoL) have gained substantial attention among social science and medical researchers. Through collaboration between Hong Kong and medical institutions in Guanzhou, Shanghai, Beijing and Kunming of PR China, this project aimed to explore the objective QoL of Chinese stroke patient, from a cross-sectional perspective.||Methods: A pilot study of 50 stroke patients from Hong Kong and 146 from PR China using Cummin's Comprehensive Quality of Life Scale-Chinese Version (ComQol-15) and SF-36. Both quantitative and quantitative analyses were used to depict QoL and health-related factors; multiple regression was used to identify mediators of QoL, and MANOVA to test possible difference on QoL domains across different demographics and health related factors.||Results: Preliminary results show that the overall mean quality of life score among Chinese in mainland China was slightly less than the maximum score. Among the seven QoL domains, Health and Safety received some of the highest scores, while the lowest scores were obtained in area of Material Well-being, Place in Community, and Productivity. People who had experienced a stroke relatively recently (<5 years ago) were found to have higher Intimacy QoL scores than their counterparts injured more than 5 years ago.||Conclusions Lower score in the ComQoL in domains of Material Well-being, Community Activities and Responsibility, and Productivity might be consequences of physical and cognitive limitations of stroke. Thus appropriate intervention to improve their life conditions, social integration would be necessary to improve their QoL. High score in other ComQoL areas such as Safety and Health may reflect good living environment.