The Impact of Stroke on the Quality of Life (QOL) of Stroke Survivors in the Southeast (SE) Communities of Nigeria: A Qualitative Study

Gloria Ada Adigwe (), Rachel Tribe, Folashade Alloh () and Patricia Smith
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Gloria Ada Adigwe: School of Health, Sports and Bioscience, University of East London, Water Lane, London E15 4LZ, UK
Rachel Tribe: School of Health, Sports and Bioscience, University of East London, Water Lane, London E15 4LZ, UK
Folashade Alloh: School of Health, Sports and Bioscience, University of East London, Water Lane, London E15 4LZ, UK
Patricia Smith: School of Health, Sports and Bioscience, University of East London, Water Lane, London E15 4LZ, UK

Disabilities, 2022, vol. 2, issue 3, 1-15

Abstract: Purpose: This study aims to explore the Quality of Life (QOL) amongst ten stroke survivors in the SE communities of Nigeria. Design: Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews. Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was utilized. Setting: Medical institutes in the southeast communities of Nigeria. Participants: 10 participants ranging in age from 29 to 72 years old. Stroke is typically a life-changing catastrophe, claiming over 55 million lives and disabling 44 million people each year. According to the research, stroke incidence has decreased by 42% in high-income nations worldwide but has increased by 100% in low-income areas such as Africa. Surviving a stroke can be a long-term process that impacts numerous elements of an individual’s life. Stroke-related QOL is a major health care issue in Nigeria that has received insufficient attention. The primary objective for survivors is to improve their QOL. Thus, it is critical to understand the true impact of stroke on the QOL of stroke survivors from their perspective. Individual, semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 10 stroke survivors were conducted. An IPA approach shaped the interview process and the analysis of the data. Three main themes arose from the data: an ‘unfamiliar self’ which illuminated the altered body (unpredictable body), the ‘recovery of the embodied self’ (the transitional stage of recovery) and the ‘reconstruction of the embodied self, which reflected a continuous process of belonging and becoming. The impact of stroke on survivors’ QOL was twofold: negative and positive. The physical dimension had the largest detrimental impact on the survivors’ QOL, according to the findings. Spirituality, on the other hand, had the most positive impact on survivors’ QOL in Nigeria’s southeast communities.

Keywords: stoke survivors; quality of life; LMIC and HIC (Low Middle Income Country and High Income Country); sub-Saharan Africa; Nigeria (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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