Factors Related to Health Status among Ischemic Stroke Patients with Dysphagia

Abstract
Purpose: To examine the relationships between severity of stroke, level of dysphagia,
nutritional status, and health status among ischemic stroke patients with dysphagia (ISPD).
Design: Descriptive correlational design.
Methods: The sample composed of 115 ischemic stroke patients with dysphagia who were
admitted to the Neurology Department, Bach Mai Hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam. Data were
collected using the patients’ hospital records and 4 questionnaires: 1) the NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS),
2) the Gugging Swallowing Screen Scale (GUSS), 3) the Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 Scale
(NRS-2002), and 4) the 12-item Short Form Survey (SF-12v2). Spearman’s Rho was employed to
test the relationships among studied variables.
Main findings: The findings revealed that severity of stroke and level of dysphagia were
negatively correlated with physical health (rs
= - .45, rs
= - .31, p < .05); and mental health
(rs
= - .54, rs
= - .71, p < .05); whereas nutritional status was positively correlated with both
physical and mental health (rs
= .42, rs
= .23, p < .05).
Conclusion and recommendations: Severity of stroke, level of dysphagia and nutritional
status affected physical and mental health of ischemic stroke patients with dysphagia. In order to
improve health status for this group of patients, nurses should assess and detect dysphagia
symptoms and nutritional status among patients with ischemic stroke. Nutritional programs
should be developed and implemented as appropriate