Publication: Caregiver support in stroke patient adherence to rehabilitation exercises at Hospital Pakar Universiti Sains Malaysia (HPUSM)
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Date
2026-07
Authors
Mahadzir, Melissa
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Abstract
Stroke is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide and often requires long-term rehabilitation to maximize functional recovery. Adherence to rehabilitation exercises is essential for improving outcomes among stroke patients; however, maintaining adherence can be challenging. Caregivers play an important role in supporting stroke patients throughout the rehabilitation process. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the level of caregiver contribution to self-care among stroke patients, determine the level of stroke patients’ adherence to rehabilitation exercises as reported by caregivers, and examine the relationship between caregiver contribution and adherence to rehabilitation exercises at Hospital Pakar Universiti Sains Malaysia (HPUSM). A cross-sectional descriptive correlational study was conducted among 172 caregivers of stroke patients attending rehabilitation services at HPUSM. Convenience sampling was used to recruit eligible participants. Data were collected using a structured self-administered questionnaire consisting of sociodemographic information, the Caregiver Contribution to Self-Care of Stroke Inventory (CC-SCSI), and the Exercise Adherence Rating Scale (EARS). Descriptive statistics were used to determine the levels of caregiver contribution and adherence, while Spearman’s rank-order correlation was used to examine the relationship between the study variables. The findings revealed that caregivers demonstrated a high level of contribution to self-care among stroke patients, with a mean score of 2.62 (SD = 0.522). Stroke patients demonstrated a moderate level of adherence to rehabilitation exercises, with a mean score of 2.40 (SD = 0.514). Furthermore, a statistically significant positive relationship was found between caregiver contribution and stroke patients’ adherence to rehabilitation exercises (ρ = 0.306, p < .001). However, the strength of the relationship was weak, indicating that factors other than caregiver contribution may also influence adherence to rehabilitation exercises. In conclusion, caregiver contribution plays an important role in supporting stroke patients’ adherence to rehabilitation exercises. Although the relationship was weak, increased caregiver involvement was associated with better adherence among stroke patients. The findings highlight the importance of involving caregivers in stroke rehabilitation programmes and providing continuous support and education to both patients and caregivers. Future studies should explore additional factors influencing rehabilitation adherence and include larger samples from multiple healthcare settings to improve the generalizability of the findings.
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