Study of quality of life in patients with stroke at the acute stage and the suitability of SF-36

Objective To assess the quality of life(QOL)in patients with stroke at the acute stage,and to determine whether all the dimensions of the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey(SF-36)are applicable to the stroke patients.Methods Fifty stroke patients at the acute stage were studied.The SF-36 was employed to assess the quality of life of the patients,and a self-designed questionnaire was used to record the general information of them.The data obtained from the patients was compared with the Chinese norm reported in literature. We also calculated the percentage of subjects who achieved the lowest possible score(score of 0,floor effect)and the percentage of subjects who achieved the highest possible score(score of 100,ceiling effect).Results The QOL of the acute stroke patients,as reflected by scores with all the dimensions of the SF-36 scale,was significantly reduced when compared with the norm data(P0.05),especially with the dimensions of the physical function,the role physical and the role emotions.In addition,ceiling effects and floor effects were revealed in some dimensions of the SF-36 scale when applied to the stroke patients.Conclusion The acute stroke affects the QOL of the patients sub- stantially,and the disease has different influences on different dimensions of the scale,indicating that intervention should be selected and applied accordingly.It is advisable to keep in mind the floor and ceiling effects of SF-36 and to use other QOL instruments for those with either very mild or severe stroke.