Post-stroke fatigue and return to work: a 2-year follow-up
- 21 June 2011
- journal article
- Published by Hindawi Limited in Acta Neurologica Scandinavica
- Vol. 125 (4), 248-253
- https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0404.2011.01557.x
Abstract
Post-stroke fatigue may affect the ability to return to work but quantitative studies are lacking. We included 83 first-ever stroke patients <60 years and employed either full-time (n = 77) or part-time (n = 6) at baseline. The patients were recruited from stroke units at Aarhus University Hospital between 2003 and 2005 and were followed for 2 years. Fatigue was assessed by the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory. Pathological fatigue was defined as a score ≥12 on the General Fatigue dimension. Return to paid work was defined as working at least 10 h per week. Data were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression. A total of 58% of patients had returned to paid work after 2 years. The adjusted Odds Ratio (OR) for returning to paid work was 0.39 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.16-1.08) for patients with a General Fatigue score ≥12 at baseline. Persisting pathological fatigue after 2 years of follow-up was associated with a lower chance of returning to paid work [adjusted OR 0.29 (95% CI 0.11-0.74)]. Higher scores of General Fatigue at follow-up also correlated negatively with the chance of returning to paid work when analyzing fatigue on a continuous scale (adjusted OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.80-0.94 for each point increase in General Fatigue). Post-stroke fatigue appears to be an independent determinant of not being able to resume paid work following stroke.Keywords
This publication has 25 references indexed in Scilit:
- Determinants of early return to work after first stroke in JapanJournal of Rehabilitation Medicine, 2010
- Positive attitudes and preserved high level of motor performance are important factors for return to work in younger persons after stroke: A national surveyJournal of Rehabilitation Medicine, 2009
- What Are the Social Consequences of Stroke for Working-Aged Adults?Stroke, 2009
- Sociodemographic differences in return to work after stroke: the South London Stroke Register (SLSR)Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, 2009
- The Influence of Psychiatric Morbidity on Return to Paid Work After Stroke in Younger AdultsStroke, 2008
- Working after a stroke: Survivors' experiences and perceptions of barriers to and facilitators of the return to paid employmentDisability and Rehabilitation, 2007
- Prevalence and predictors of pain and fatigue after stroke: a population-based studyInternational Journal of Rehabilitation Research, 2006
- Stroke patients' experiences of return to workDisability and Rehabilitation, 2006
- Psychosocial consequences of stroke: A long-term population-based follow-upBrain Injury, 2005
- The first year of rehabilitation after a stroke – from two perspectivesScandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, 2003