Perception of Factors Influencing Adherence to Home-Based Exercise Programmes by Stroke Survivors Attending Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Background: Adherence to home-based exercise is important in rehabilitation, it is the extent to which patients fully do the exercises  prescribed to them by physiotherapists for home sessions. Patients who adhere to their prescribed home-based exercises are likely to  experience better recovery than those who do not.

Objective: This study aimed to determine the perception of factors influencing adherence to home-based exercise programmes by  stroke survivors attending Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital.

Methodology: The qualitative study recruited thirteen stroke survivors were  recruited through an indepth interview using a purposive sampling technique. Three participants were interviewed weekly for a period of  (5) five weeks. The interview was recorded using an audio recorder and transcribed. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the  transcribed data.

Result: The participants were six (6) females and (seven) 7males. The age of the participants ranges from 28-80 years.  Only 6 out of 13 patients fully adhered to the homebased exercises. The results revealed that the facilitators of adherence to home-based exercises were motivated by physiotherapists and family support. The barriers to homebased exercise programmes were time  constraints, lack of family support, exercise difficulty, unwillingness to exercise and financial constraints. Physiotherapists are to educate  informal caregivers on their roles in helping stroke survivors to achieve better home-based exercise adherence.