The relationship between demographic features and functional status, daily activities and disability level in stroke patients

Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate demografic features of stroke patients, stroke etiology and the efect of stroke interval and affected hemisphere on functional status, daily activities, ambulation, mobility and disability level.Material and method: Demographic features, stroke risk factors are recorded in 126 stroke patients. The patients are subdivided according to stroke etiology, affected hemisphere, age, gender and admission time. Ambulation, mobility level, daily activity and disability level were evaluated.Results: In study group, 48 % of the patients were female and 52 % of the patients were male. 77% of the etiologies were ischemic whereas 23% of the etiologies were hemorragic. In both etiologies, the most encountered risk factor was hypertension. When functional status was compared to disability level, there was no difference between age, gender, affected hemisphere and disease period. There were strongly positive correlation between Functional Ambulation Scala scores and Rivermead Mobility and Modified Barhel Index scores. Strongly negative correlation is found between Functional Ambulation Scala scores and Modified Rankın Scala score. Very strong correlation is discovered between Rivermead Mobility Index and Modified Barhel Index scores. Very strong negative correlation is found between Rivermead Mobility Index and Modified Rankın Scala score. There was high level correlation between Brunnstrom stages and the patients ambulation, daily activities, mobility and disability levels.Conclusion: Because of high mortality and morbidity of stroke, most usefull method to reduce the effect on public health is elimination of risk factors. Risk factors, functional status of stroke patients must be eveluated in early period and multidisciplinary rehabilitation programs must be applied. It is important to evaluate motor and functionel status in potential rehabilitation patients in order to determine rehabilitation objectives. All measurements to evaluate disabity level after stroke are usefull to determine objectives.Key words: Stroke, risk factors, daily activities, ambulation, mobility, disability