Determinants of satisfaction with community reintegration in older adults with chronic stroke: role of balance self-efficacy.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Many people with stroke have a low level of satisfaction with community reintegration. Although previous studies focused on the effect of physical factors on community reintegration, the effect of psychological factors, such as balance self-efficacy, has been ignored. The purpose of this study was to determine the contribution of balance self-efficacy to satisfaction with community reintegration in older adults with chronic stroke.

SUBJECTS: A sample of 63 community-dwelling older adults (50 years of age or older) with chronic stroke (onset of 1 year or more) participated in this study.

METHODS: This study involved a secondary analysis of data collected from a stroke exercise clinical trial. Satisfaction with community reintegration was measured with the Reintegration to Normal Living (RNL) Index, and balance self-efficacy was measured with the Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) Scale.

RESULTS: Bivariate correlation analyses showed that the RNL Index scores were moderately correlated with the ABC Scale scores. In a multiple regression analysis, after adjusting for age, sex, depression, and other impairments after stroke, balance self-efficacy remained independently associated with the RNL Index scores, accounting for 6.5% of the variance in the RNL Index scores.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Balance self-efficacy is an independent predictor of satisfaction with community reintegration in older adults with chronic stroke. Improving balance self-efficacy may be instrumental in enhancing community reintegration in this population.