Factors associated with stroke survivors’ inconsistent uptake of physiotherapy interventions at Turton Community Health Centre, KwaZulu-Natal

Abstract

Background Stroke is one of the major causes of physical disability worldwide. Whilst physiotherapy interventions are important for the recovery of stroke survivors, the uptake remains inconsistent and factors contributing to these inconsistencies are not well documented, especially in South Africa. Objectives The overall objective was to determine the intrinsic and extrinsic factors associated with adult stroke survivors’ inconsistent uptake of physiotherapy interventions at Turton Community Health Centre, Ugu District, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Methods This was a cross-sectional study involving 50 stroke survivors who missed one or more of their physiotherapy appointments and 25 who attended all their appointments (comparison group) within a 2-year period. A researcher-administered semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data, which was captured and analysed using SPSS v25. Results were summarised using descriptive statistics. Pearson’s chi-square test was used for bivariate analysis. Results Only two intrinsic factors were significantly associated with the outcome variable, namely: believed in exercises recommended by physiotherapists (χ 2 = 3.86, p = 0.049) and improvements noted from the start of recommended exercises (χ 2 = 9.439, p = 0.007). Transportation, including hiring of private cars (74%) and being far away from the health facility (48%), were key extrinsic challenges affecting access to health facilities. Conclusion Personal reasons and the difficulty in accessing health facilities were main factors affecting stroke survivors’ uptake of physiotherapy interventions. Clinical implications Design of patient-tracking and family support systems may potentially improve the stroke survivors’ uptake of physiotherapy interventions.

Factors Influencing Physiotherapy Attendance among Stroke Patients during the COVID-19 Era

“…The impact of sociodemographic factors on service modification among stroke patients during the COVID-19 pandemic was extensive and complex. While gender (p-value 0.543), occupation (p-value 0.205) and stroke severity (p-value 0.105) did not show a statistically significant relationship with service modification, similar to results obtained by other scholars (Mlambo and Hlongwana, 2020, Hunt et al, 2011, McLean et al, 2017, there was a higher propensity for females to seek modifications, indicating gender-specific considerations in healthcare decisionmaking. Patient's age (p-value 0.049), education level (p-value 0.023) and home environment (p-value 0.026) were found to be pivotal determinants of service modification (Vollmer et al, 2021, Christensen et al, 2019, highlighting the nuanced interplay of personal and situational factors in patient choices.…”

“…Stroke rehabilitation is imperative for individuals recovering from stroke, playing a pivotal role in their journey to recovery (Adu et al, 2020, Nava-Bringas et al, 2021. However, numerous factors can impede or facilitate access to rehabilitation services.…”