Functionality, stress and quality of life of stroke survivors

Objective: To correlate functional capacity and perceived stress with the health-related quality of life of stroke survivors. Methods: This is a cross-sectional analytical study, conducted with 160 stroke survivors registered in Family Health Units. Data were collected using a semi-structured instrument to obtain sociodemographic and health data, the Barthel Index, the Perceived Stress Scale and the Stroke Specific Quality of Life Scale. Correlations between instrument scores were verified by Spearman's correlation test. Results: Participants showed moderate functional dependence and perceived stress. Low health-related quality of life was evidenced, with greater impairment in the social roles and family roles domains. There was a statistically significant correlation between health-related quality of life and functional capacity (r=705; p<0.001) and perceived stress (r=-436; p<0.001). Conclusion: Functional capacity and perceived stress were significantly related to the health-related quality of life of people affected by stroke, demonstrating that health-related quality of life increases as functionality increases and stress decreases.