Perceived barriers and facilitators for gait-related participation in people after stroke: From a patients' perspective

Background: An important focus of post-stroke physical therapy is to improve walking and walking capacity. However, many people after stroke experience difficulties with gait-related participation, which includes more than walking capacity alone. Gait-related participation involves walking with a participation goal and requires to deal with changes in the environment during walking and perform dual tasks, for example. Objective: To explore barriers and facilitators for gait-related participation from the perspective of people after stroke. This knowledge can contribute to the development of effective interventions to improve gait-related participation. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted to investigate how people after stroke experience gait-related participation. Audio-recorded interviews were transcribed, anonymized, and analyzed thematically. Barriers and facilitators were categorized according to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework. Results: Twenty-one people after stroke participated. Median age was 65 years, median time since stroke 16 weeks. Barriers were reported in movement-related functions, cognitive functions, mobility, personal factors, and environmental factors. Facilitators were found on participation level and in personal and environmental factors, such as motivation and family support. Conclusion: People after stroke who were physically able to walk independently still described multiple barriers to gait-related participation in all components of the ICF framework.