Occupational balance and stroke impact among community-dwelling stroke survivors 65 years or older: a cross-sectional study

Introduction
Occupational balance has been investigated in different populations but less in stroke survivors. Previous studies have focussed on occupational balance among stroke survivors of working age (15–64 years of age), showing they did not perceive they had occupational balance. There is, therefore, a lack of knowledge of how older stroke survivors perceive their occupational balance. The aims of this study were to describe occupational balance in community-dwelling stroke survivors 65 years or older and to investigate if there were any associations between their perceived stroke impact and occupational balance.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was performed with 58 stroke survivors, with a median age of 75 years at stroke onset and a median time since stroke onset of 11 months. The participants were recruited from a local stroke register and answered questionnaires on occupational balance and stroke impact. Data were analysed with descriptive statistics, correlations and logistic regression.
Results
The participants had a median score of 29 (min 12 to max 33), indicating a very high occupational balance, a low stroke impact, and a good recovery (median 82.5; min 0 to max 100). An association between participation and occupational balance (OR 1.13; 95% CI 1.04–1.23) was found.
Conclusion
The stroke survivors perceived a low stroke impact and a high occupational balance. It is possible that older community-dwelling stroke survivors, of whom many have retired, juggle less occupations leaving them with more time to engage in those occupations they want to, leading to a better occupational balance.