Fatigue predicts level of community integration in people with stroke.

Background: The independent predictive power of fatigue for community integration has not been investigated, although there is an increasing amount of literature that recognizes the importance of fatigue in people with stroke.

Objectives: To examine the correlation between community integration and fatigue, walking endurance, and fear of falling; and to quantify the relative contribution of fatigue to community integration in people with stroke.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study with 75 community-dwelling people with stroke. Data were collected using the Community Integration Measure (CIM), Fatigue Assessment Scale (FAS), 6-minute walk test (6MWT), and Survey of Activities and Fear of Falling in the Elderly (SAFE). Multiple linear regressions (forced entry method) were used to quantify the relative power of the FAS score to predict community integration in a model covering distance in the 6MWT and the SAFE score.

Results: After controlling for age, the CIM score significantly correlated with the scores for FAS (r=-0.48, p < 0.001), 6MWT distance (r = 0.24, p = 0.039), and SAFE (r=-0.39, p = 0.001). The entire model, including age, FAS score, 6MWT distance, and SAFE score, explained 26.1% of the variance in the CIM scores (F [4, 70] = 7.52, p < 0.001). The FAS scores independently explained 10.6% of the variance in the CIM scores.

Conclusions: This study suggests that fatigue is an independent predictor of community integration among people with stroke, taking into account walking endurance and fear of falling.