Understanding Participation and Activity After Stroke

Stroke is a major health issue, being the second leading cause of death in developed countries. Many people face the risk of having a stroke at some point in their lives. For those who survive, Strokes can lead to serious difficulties in Daily Activities. Survivors often struggle with physical, mental, and emotional challenges, which can restrict their ability to take part in social or leisure activities.

Despite these challenges, many of the problems that arise after a stroke can be improved. Getting involved in activities and exercising are essential for a healthy lifestyle for stroke survivors.

#Participation and Its Importance

Participation means how involved someone is in everyday life. It includes doing meaningful activities, having habits, fulfilling roles, and being a part of the community. Occupational Therapy focuses mainly on helping people get back to participating in their daily lives after a stroke.

However, there is limited information on what factors help people return to their normal activities. Commonly affected areas after a stroke include work, leisure, and household tasks.

#Physical Activity After Stroke

Physical activity refers to any movement made by the muscles that requires energy. This includes any kind of movement while working, traveling, or during free time.

Stroke survivors often become less active and spend a lot of time sitting, which can worsen their condition. In fact, their activity levels are typically lower than what health organizations suggest to prevent further strokes.

Research shows that being able to move independently contributes to greater participation in activities. Being able to walk, drive, and have a good social network can help people engage more in daily life. Still, even those with improved physical ability often find it hard to participate fully in social activities and work, which is a big concern for many.

#A Need for Better Insight

There isn’t enough data on how participation and physical activity relate to each other for stroke survivors. The goal of this review is to look closely at how these factors connect and to see if they change over time.

#Study Plan

#Study Design and Registration

This study protocol will follow established guidelines for systematic reviews. It has been registered in a database made for planning systematic reviews.

#Eligibility Criteria

#Types of Studies

We will include different kinds of studies, such as observational studies and experimental trials, that look at participation and physical activity levels in stroke survivors. Only studies published in peer-reviewed journals in English or Spanish and containing full text will be considered. Studies must also have more than 10 participants.

We will focus on studies that track participants over time to see how their activity and participation levels develop.

#Participant Characteristics

We will include studies that involve adults aged 18 and older who have been diagnosed with a stroke, regardless of when it happened, how severe it was, the cause, gender, or where they live. Studies with mixed groups that do not provide separate data for stroke patients will not be included.

#Outcome Measures

We will look at studies that report on physical activity using different methods, like wearable devices or questionnaires. We will also include studies that assess participation in daily activities according to a common framework. Studies that only report physical performance tests will not be included.

#Data Sources and Searches

We will search six electronic databases to find relevant studies. The search terms will cover topics related to stroke, physical activity, and daily living participation. We will also look at the references of the articles we review to find additional studies.

#Study Selection

Once we remove duplicate records, we will first check the titles and abstracts of the studies. Then, we will review the full texts based on our eligibility criteria. Two independent researchers will take part in this process, and if they disagree, a third researcher will help resolve any issues.

#Evaluating Study Quality

Two researchers will check the quality of each study using a specific scale that looks at selection, comparability, and outcomes. A third researcher will verify these assessments.

#Data Collection

Two independent researchers will gather data from each selected study using a standardized form. A couple of other researchers will help check the data for accuracy. We will collect information such as study details, participant characteristics, and study results, especially focusing on correlations or associations between participation and physical activity.

When possible, we will also extract data points, such as averages and the spread of scores, from studies that track changes over time. If data is missing, we will try reaching out to authors to obtain it.

#Data Synthesis

If we find at least two studies that report similar participation and physical activity outcomes, we will calculate a summary of the correlation between these outcomes. For studies with repeated measurements, we will compute effect sizes to see how scores change over time.

We will also analyze differences in participation based on various factors, such as age, gender, and the quality of the studies.

#Addressing Limitations

Recent predictions suggest that the number of stroke survivors may rise significantly in the coming years. This makes it crucial to focus on participation in activities and physical activity levels to prevent further health issues. Low levels of activity can lead to a higher risk of another stroke and impact the quality of life, which is why we need to synthesize existing information.

While this review hopes to gather meaningful insights, there may be limitations. We may miss studies that use different terms for participation and physical activity. Additionally, there may not be many high-quality studies that show a clear relationship between these two areas.

#Conclusion

This systematic review aims to provide a comprehensive look at the link between participation in daily activities and physical activity among stroke survivors. The findings could significantly contribute to our knowledge in this field, aiding future research and public health strategies. Furthermore, understanding the relationship between these two factors will help us better address the needs of stroke survivors so they can lead more fulfilling lives.