The Impact of Stroke on the Quality of Life (QOL) of Stroke Survivors in the Southeast (SE) Communities of Nigeria: A Qualitative Study

Purpose: This study aims to explore the Quality of Life (QOL) amongst ten stroke survivors in the SE communities of Nigeria. Design: Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews. Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was utilized. Setting: Medical institutes in the southeast communities of Nigeria. Participants: 10 participants ranging in age from 29 to 72 years old. Stroke is typically a life-changing catastrophe, claiming over 55 million lives and disabling 44 million people each year. According to the research, stroke incidence has decreased by 42% in high-income nations worldwide but has increased by 100% in low-income areas such as Africa. Surviving a stroke can be a long-term process that impacts numerous elements of an individual’s life. Stroke-related QOL is a major health care issue in Nigeria that has received insufficient attention. The primary objective for survivors is to improve their QOL. Thus, it is critical to understand the true impact of stroke on the QOL of stroke survivors from their perspective. Individual, semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 10 stroke survivors were conducted. An IPA approach shaped the interview process and the analysis of the data. Three main themes arose from the data: an ‘unfamiliar self’ which illuminated the altered body (unpredictable body), the ‘recovery of the embodied self’ (the transitional stage of recovery) and the ‘reconstruction of the embodied self, which reflected a continuous process of belonging and becoming. The impact of stroke on survivors’ QOL was twofold: negative and positive. The physical dimension had the largest detrimental impact on the survivors’ QOL, according to the findings. Spirituality, on the other hand, had the most positive impact on survivors’ QOL in Nigeria’s southeast communities

Assessment of health-related quality of life of stroke survivors in southeast communities in Nigeria

The prevalence of stroke in Nigeria has continued to be a major public health challenge. Recovery from a stroke episode can be a long-impacting process with reduced quality of life outcomes. Past studies have explored the quality of life (QoL) of stroke survivors. However, none have explored the QoL of stroke survivors in Southeastern Nigeria. This study therefore describes the QoL of Nigerian stroke survivors in Southeastern Nigeria. One hundred and one participants (44 male and 58 female) were recruited into the study. QoL domains were assessed using the stroke-specific Health-Related Quality of Life in Stroke Patients (HRQOLISP). The physical domain was significantly lower than other domains measured (mean = 2.52, SD = 0.76), contributing to poor quality of life. On the other hand, the spiritual domain had the greatest positive influence on QoL (mean = 3.70, SD = 0.50). We found the physical domain was the poorest part of stroke survivors’ stroke experience. The spiritual domain had a positive impact on improving QoL. There is a need for research on interventions relating to the physical rehabilitation of stroke survivors and a review of how the spiritual domain can be enhanced to improve QoL

Influence of Concept Map and Simulation-Game Instructional Strategies, Gender and School Location on Students’ Interest in Environmental Concepts in Chemistry

The study investigated the comparative effects of concept mapping and simulation-game teaching strategies on students’ interest in environmental concepts in chemistry. The quasi-experimental, pre-test, post-test, non-equivalent control group design was adopted. The sample used comprised of four hundred and sixty-seven (467) SS2 chemistry students randomly drawn from four (4) single-sex schools. The instrument for data collection was Environmental Concepts Inventory (ECI), while six research questions and six null hypotheses guided the study. Three intact classes were assigned to concept mapping, simulation-game and lecture method groups. Means, standard deviations were used to answer the research questions, while ANCOVA and Multiple Classification Analysis (MCA) using the Scheffe’s test were used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Results revealed that the simulation-game teaching strategy was most effective in enhancing students’ interest than the concept-mapping strategy. Influences of gender and school location on students’ interest were both not significant. Similarly, there were no significant interaction effects of teaching strategy and gender or school location or both on students’ interest. Based on the findings, some recommendations were made