Younger Women’s Experiences of Stroke: A Qualitative Study

The incidence of stroke in younger adults is rising, especially among women. This study aims to explore the experiences of younger women who have had a stroke to understand their experience and support needs. This study used a qualitative description approach, recruiting eligible women through a snowball method. A focus group discussion was conducted to collect data, which was then analysed using thematic analysis. The five participants were 18 to 64 years old when they experienced their stroke and six to 18 years post-stroke when they participated in a focus group discussion in 2021. Four themes and 11 sub-themes emerged during the data analysis: 1) impacts of stroke (stroke onset and early experiences, physical and psychosocial effects, and changes to their roles and careers); 2) women’s reproductive health (pregnancy, on the contraceptive pill, and effect of anticoagulants on menstruation); 3) self-management (being a woman, healthcare monitoring, and self-care); and 4) support (internal and external support). The younger woman’s burden after stroke is complex due to their risk factors, symptoms, and recovery needs. Therefore, developing specific long-term rehabilitation strategies for younger women are needed for more effective stroke rehabilitation and recurrent stroke prevention. TE REO MĀORI TRANSLATION Ngā Ariā Matua E piki haere ana te pānga o te roro ikura i waenga i ngā pakeke āhua taitamariki, otirā he tino pērā mō te wahine. E whai ana tēnei rangahau kia tūhuratia ngā wheako o ngā wāhine taitamariki kua pāngia e te roro ikura kia mārama kē atu ō rātou wheako me ō rātou hiahia tautoko. I whakamahia e tēnei rangahau tētahi ara whakamārama whakaahua kounga, nā te rapu haere i ngā wāhine āhei mā tētahi huarahi torotoro tangata. I whakahaeretia tētahi hui whakawhiti kōrero hei kohikohi raraunga, ā, ka tātaritia i muri mā te tātari ā-tāhuhu. Ko te pakeke o te hunga whakauru kei waenga i te 18 ki te 64 tau i te pānga o tō rātou roro ikura, ā, e ono ki te tekau mā waru tau i muri i te roro ikura ka whai wāhi ki te hui whakawhiti kōrero, i te tau 2021. E whā ngā tāhuhu, 11 hoki ngā tāhuhu whāiti i puta i roto i te tātaritanga raraunga: 1) ko ngā pānga o te roro ikura (te ekenga mai o te roro ikura me ngā wheako tuatahi, ngā pānga ā-tinana, ā-wairua, ā-hinengaro hoki, ngā panonitanga ki ō rātou tūranga mahi, ara mahi hoki); 2) te hauora whakaputa uri o ngā wāhine (te hapūtanga, te pire ārai hapū, te pānga o ngā rongoā whakakūtere toto ki te ikura wahine); 3) te whakahaere i a ia anō (te noho hei wahine, te aroturuki manaakitanga hauora, te taurima a te tangata i a ia anō); me te 4) tautoko (whakaroto, whakawaho anō hoki). He matatini ngā āhuatanga o ngā kawenga mō te wahine taitamariki i muri i te ikura, nā ngā āhuatanga tūraru, ngā tohu o te mate, me ngā hiahia mātūtū. Nā reira, me whakatupu rautaki whakamātūtū mō te wā roa mō ngā wāhine taitamariki, e kaha ake ai te whai hua o ngā mahi whakaora i muri i te roro ikura, me te ārainga i te pānga anō o te roro ikura. Ngā kupu matua: ngā wheako roro ikura; ngā pānga roro ikura; te whakamātūtūtanga i muri i te roro ikura; ngā tūraru roro ikura; mōrehu nō te roro ikura; ngā wāhine taitamariki