Determination of Factors that Influence Self-efficacy and Quality of Life in Patients with Stroke: An Observational Study

Objectives: Stroke is a significant cause of disability. In addition, self-efficacy, which is the confidence in one’s ability to carry out a task or achieve a goal, can be affected after a stroke, and reduced self-efficacy can negatively impact quality of life. This study aimed to identify the factors that influence self-efficacy and quality of life in individuals with stroke. Study design: This is a cross-sectional study. Methods: The Stroke Self-Efficacy Questionnaire, the SF-8 questionnaire, the Edinburgh Handedness Questionnaire, and the Modified Rankin Scale were used to assess the participants’ self-efficacy, quality of life, handedness, and level of disability, respectively. Standard linear multiple regression was used to determine the factors that will significantly predict self-efficacy and quality of life. Results: A total of 120 patients with stroke, with a mean age of 46.81±12.75 years, participated in the study. For self-efficacy, the total variance explained by the whole model was significant, accounting for 67.0% of the variance, F(7,120)=13.027, R²=0.449, p<0.001. In the final model, only the level of disability (Beta= -0.585, p<0.001) and time since stroke (Beta= 0.154, p=0.034) significantly predicted self-efficacy, with level of disability as the strongest predictor. For quality of life, the total variance explained by the whole model was significant, accounting for 48.2% of the variance, F(8,120)=4.189, R²=0.232, p<0.001. In the final model, only the level of disability (Beta= -0.259, p=0.018) and self-efficacy (Beta=0.211, p=0.0261) significantly predicted quality of life, with level of disability as the strongest predictor. Conclusions: Time since stroke and level of disability significantly predict self-efficacy after stroke. Similarly, the level of disability and self-efficacy significantly predict quality of life after stroke. Therefore, rehabilitation after a stroke should begin as soon as possible to help improve patients’ self-efficacy.