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Occupational Therapy Insights


Jul 27, 2020

Stroke is a leading cause of neurological disability among adults, and there is evidence that health disparities exist along the stroke continuum. People living with low income have a higher stroke
incidence (Cesaroni, Agabiti, Forastiere, & Perucci, 2009), higher stroke fatality (Kapral et al., 2012), and lower functional recovery (Chen et al., 2015). Living in a low-income neighborhood also leads to poorer participation poststroke, even after adjustments for health and level of disability (Egan et al., 2015). Despite our general knowledge of the association between income and poststroke disability in developed countries, there is little in the occupational therapy literature to support our understanding of
how low income can influence stroke survivors’ participation in personally valued occupations. The objective of this paper is to provide a theoretical and practical understanding of these
challenges with re-engagement in personally valued occupations following stroke, as well as to make recommendations to guide practice.