Post-stroke Quality of Life Index: A quality of life tool for stroke survivors from Sri Lanka.

BACKGROUND: Burden of stroke is rising due to the demographic and epidemiological transitions in Sri Lanka. Assessment of success of stroke-management requires tools to assess the quality of life (QOL) of stroke survivors. Most of currently used QOL tools are developed in high-income countries and may not reflect characteristics relevant to resource-constrained countries. The aim was to develop and validate a new QOL tool for stroke survivors in Sri Lanka. METHODS: The COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) checklist was referred. A conceptual framework was prepared. Item generation was done reviewing the existing QOL tools, inputs from experts and from stroke survivors. Non-statistical item reduction was done for the 36 generated items with modified-Delphi technique. Retained 21 items were included in the draft tool. A cross sectional study was done with 180 stroke survivors. Exploratory Factor Analysis was done and identified factors were subjected to varimax rotation. Further construct validity was tested with 6 a-priori hypothesis using already validated tools (SF-36, EQ-5D-3 L) and a formed construct. Internal consistency reliability was assessed with Cronbach alpha. RESULTS: Four factors identified with principal-component-analysis explained 72.02% of the total variance. All 21 items loaded with a level > 0.4. The developed tool was named as the Post-stroke QOL Index (PQOLI). Four domains were named as "physical and social function", "environment", "financial-independence" and "pain and emotional-wellbeing". Four domain scores of PQOLI correlated as expected with the SF-36, EQ-5D Index and EQ-5D-VAS scores. Higher domain scores were obtained for ambulatory-group than the hospitalized-group. Higher scores for financial-independence domain were obtained for the group without financial-instability. Five a-priori hypothesis were completely proven to be true. Cronbach-alpha level ranged from 0.682 to 0.906 for the four domains. CONCLUSIONS: There is first evidence for sufficient construct validity of the PQOLI as a valid QOL tool for measuring the QOL of stroke survivors with satisfactory internal consistency reliability.

Construct validity and reliability of EQ-5D-3L for stroke survivors in a lower middle income setting

Introduction: Stroke is a leading disease accounting for burden of chronic NCDs especially in lower and lower-middle income (LMI) settings. Quality of Life (QOL) is considered as an important facet of determination of success of patient management. EQ-5D-3L is a generic QOL tool. It provides an index score amalgamating responses for five descriptive questions and a visual analogue scale (VAS) value. Objectives: To assess the validity and reliability of EQ-5D-3L for stroke patients in Sri Lanka, which is a LMI setting. Methods: A descriptive cross sectional study was done among 100 stroke survivors among whom 50 each were managed at an ambulatory setting and an in-ward setting. A second wave of data collection was done for reliability analysis among one half of participants. The validity of EQ-5D-3L was assesses with five a-priori hypotheses. Reliability was assessed with test-retest method and with internal consistency. Non parametric Mann Whitney U test and Spearman correlation coefficients were used in the analysis. Results: The EQ-5D index scores had significant positive correlation with SF-36 domain scores (p<0.001). The EQ-5D VAS scores had significant positive correlation with SF-36 domain scores (p<0.01). Index and VAS values of the EQ-5D were proved to be valid in known-group comparison (p<0.001). Participants reporting some kind of impairment for EQ-5D-3L dimensions had lower SF-36 domain scores. All the kappa values in the analysis of test-retest method were significant (p<0.001). For the VAS score, the Spearman correlation coefficient in test-reter analysis was 0.993 (p<0.001). Cronbach's alpha value was 0.928. Conclusions: and Recommendations EQ-5D-3L questionnaire demonstrates construct validity and a is a reliable toolin measuring QOL among stoke survivors in Sri Lanka.

Factors influencing pre-stroke and post-stroke quality of life among stroke survivors in a lower middle-income country.

Quality of life (QOL) reflects the individual's perception of the position within living contexts. This study was done to describe pre- and post-stroke QOLs of stroke survivors. A prospective longitudinal study was done among stroke survivors admitted to 13 hospitals in the western province of Sri Lanka. The calculated sample size was 260. The pre-stroke and post-discharge one-month QOL was gathered using short form-36 (SF-36) QOL tool. SF-36 includes questions on eight domains: general health, physical functioning, pain, role limitation due to physical problems, social functioning, vitality, role limitations due to emotional problems, and mental health. Univariate analysis was followed by determining the independent risk factors through multivariate analysis. The response rate was 81%. The disability was measured by the modified Rankin scale which ranges from 0 (no symptoms) to 6 (fatal outcome). The median (IQR) disability score was 4 (3 to 5). The post-discharge QOL scores were significantly lower than pre-stroke values (p < 0.05). With a higher pre-stroke QOL, younger age was significantly associated in six domains and higher income and better health infrastructure in two domains (p < 0.05). Six factors were determined to be independent risk factors for lower post-discharge QOL scores of SF-36: younger age (for general health and role limitation-physical domains), female gender (for physical functioning and pain domains), lower health infrastructure (for general health, vitality, and mental health domains), lower education (for pain domain), higher disability (for general health, physical functioning, vitality, social functioning, and mental health domains), and hypercholesterolemia (for role limitation-emotional domain). Stroke survivors have not regained their pre-stroke QOL at 1 month following the hospital discharge irrespective of income level and pre-stroke QOL. Higher pre- and post-stroke QOLs are associated with better statuses of social determinants of health.

Engaging a rural community in identifying determinants of low birth weight and deciding on measures to improve low birth weight: an experience from a Sri Lankan study.

BACKGROUND: Involving communities in identifying and addressing determinants of their own health is effective in addressing complex problems, such as low birth weight (LBW). LBW is an important public health problem which has not improved significantly in Sri Lanka in the last 10 years. This study reports the ability of lay persons to identify and address determinants of LBW. METHODS: A health promotion intervention was conducted among 403 mothers registering at 26 antenatal clinics in the district of Anuradhapura, in Sri Lanka. The components of a health promotion process-initiation, maintenance and continual monitoring, and re-direction towards greater effectiveness-were explained to the mothers. Inputs were initially provided through different methods to enable mothers' groups to identify determinants of LBW and to decide actions to address those identified determinants. The overall study was carried out over a period of 1 year, of which the intervention phase took around 7 months. The mothers in the clinic group were encouraged to continue an ongoing process in smaller "neighborhood action committees" (NACs)-of which there were 71. The findings are based on field notes maintained during the process, analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Each group of mothers identified at least eight determinants of LBW at the first attempt (without first author's guidance), four of which corresponded with those already mentioned in published studies. Up to five other determinants were agreed, after facilitation by the first author, at the second attempt. Of the total, 10 determinants of LBW were finally prioritized. Twenty actions to address the 10 selected prioritized determinants were agreed through a collective consensus development process. CONCLUSIONS: Lay communities successfully identified determinants of LBW and household level actions to address these, with relatively simple guidance, when stimulated to initiate the relevant process. This capacity should be nurtured and better used in interventions to improve LBW.

Financial burden of survivors of medically-managed myocardial infarction and its association with selected social determinants and quality of life in a lower middle income country.

BACKGROUND: Burden from ischemic heart disease is rising in Sri Lanka due to the demographic and epidemiological transitions. Documented literature is scarce on quality of life, financial burden and its determinants in relation to myocardial infarction (MI). This study was done to describe the financial burden among the survivors of MI managed only with drugs (i.e. those who did not undergo Percutaneous Coronary Intervention or Coronary Artery Bypass Graft) and its association with selected social determinants (SDHs) and quality of life (QOL). METHODS: A cross sectional study was done among MI survivors in 13 hospitals in the premier province of Sri Lanka. Out of 336 participants recruited at hospital stay, 270 responded through a self-administered questionnaire at 1 month post discharge. Questionnaire included sections on financial burden, selected SDHs and on QOL measured by the EQ-5D-3 L QOL tool. Presence of financial burden was determined using an operational definition. Associations were tested with Mann-Whitney-U test, Chi square test and Spearman-correlation-coefficient at 5% significant level. RESULTS: Around 40% (n = 116) had to seek financial support for out-of-pocket expenditure. Nearly 5% (n = 6) of previously employed participants had lost their job. Of the employed respondents (n = 139, 51.5%), 29% (n = 85) had limited physical activity and 40% (n = 115) had limitations of employment time. Of the respondents, 15.4% had to apply for a loan, 7.8% had to sell a property, 19.1% had an income loss and 33.8% had to restrict usual expenses. Financial burden was not significantly associated with gender (p = 0.146), ethnicity (p = 0.068), highest education (p = 0.184) and area of residence (p = 0.369). Influence of income (p = 0.001), social support (p = 0.002) and the health infrastructure (p < 0.001) were significantly associated with the occurrence of a financial burden. In the group with a financial burden, the index score (p = 0.002) and VAS score (p < 0.001) of EQ-5D-3 L were significantly lower. CONCLUSIONS: Financial burden is common among survivors of medically-managed occurring irrespective of the gender, ethnicity, education and the area. It is influenced significantly by the income, level of social support and the level of health infrastructure. The financial burden is influencing the post-discharge-1-month QOL.

Pre-event quality of life and its influence on the post-event quality of life among patients with ST elevation and non-ST elevation myocardial infarctions of a premier province of Sri Lanka.

BACKGROUND: Pre-event Quality of Life (QOL) reflects the true social circumstances in which people live prior to the onset of myocardial infarctions. It is believed to be a predictor of the post-event QOL. The aim of this study was to describe the pre-event QOL and its influence on the post-event Quality of Life among patients with ST elevation (STEMI) and Non-ST elevation myocardial infarctions (NSTEMI) using Short Form-36 (SF-36), a generic QOL tool with 8 domains. Documented literature is rare in this regard in Sri Lanka, which is a lower-middle-income country. METHODS: A cross-sectional study with a 28-day post-discharge follow-up was carried out in 13 hospitals. Three hundred and forty-four patients who were diagnosed with STEMI or NSTEMI were recruited during the hospital stay. The pre-event QOL was measured using an interviewer-administered questionnaire which included the SF-36 QOL tool and medical details. Follow-up QOL was gathered using a questionnaire that was filled and posted back by participants. Of the recruited sample, 235 responded for the follow-up component. Analysis was conducted for associations between pre- and post-discharge QOL. Furthermore, comparisons were made between the STEMI and NSTEMI groups. Mann Whiney U test, Wilcoxon signed rank test and chi square test were used in the analysis. RESULTS: The post-event QOL was lower in seven out of eight domains than the pre-event QOL (p < 0.05). The NSTEMI group had more risk factors and a significantly lower pre-event QOL for seven domains (p < 0.05), when compared to the STEMI group. For seven domains, the post-discharge QOL was not significantly different (p > 0.05) between the STEMI and NSTEMI groups. Post-discharge general-health QOL domain score was higher than the pre-MI score (p = 0.028) and was higher in the STEMI group compared to the NSTEMI group (p = 0.042). Regression analysis showed a significant beta coefficient between pre- and post-QOL for five domains in STEMI and for all domains in NSTEMI groups when adjusted for the disease severity. The R square values ranged from 12.3 to 62.3% for STEMI and 7.3 to 64.8% for NSTEMI. CONCLUSIONS: Pre-event QOL is lower in the NSTEMI group compared to the STEMI group. Patients do not regain the previous QOL within one month post-discharge. Post-discharge QOL can be predicted by the pre-event QOL for most domains.

Improving performance and happiness among healthcare workers through a body-mind approach in a healthcare setting in Sri Lanka.

BACKGROUND: Cognitive ergonomics in the work place has become a serious concern with the need to keep people happy at work while maintaining high productivity. Hence, it is worth exploring how the outcomes of lifestyle-based mind development programs can bring about happiness in workplace while keeping productivity and quality of services high. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the present work was to test a body-mind technique to improve cognitive ergonomics in a health care work setting. METHODS: Principal investigator explored many body-mind techniques before selecting the present method of "insight meditation" which he mastered before applying it on a group of scholars who made it a part of their lifestyle. Later it was introduced to a sample of 500 volunteer health personnel in the western province to generate a ripple effect of happiness at work. RESULTS: Initial qualitative information indicated improvement of some aspects of cognitive ergonomics among those who practiced it. There was a relief from stress during the practice sessions and improvements in the commitment to work and in team spirit. A demand was observed for further training. A quasi-experimental study to test the improvements is underway. CONCLUSIONS: Health workers showed interest in the mind training and potential benefits to individuals and the institutions were observed.