Introduction: Rehabilitation becomes more difficult after a stroke, which causes long-term disability worldwide and is especially difficult in nations like Bangladesh that lack adequate resources. While functional recovery depends on physical activity (PA), inappropriate pain coping strategies can reduce its efficacy. Developing knowledge of the relationship between PA levels and pain coping strategies can help improve recovery outcomes and offer important insights into rehabilitation planning.
Objectives: To investigate the relationship between physical activity levels and pain coping strategies among stroke survivors.
Methods: A cross-sectional study involving 128 stroke survivors in Bangladesh used the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and Pain Coping Inventory (PCI) to measure physical activity levels and pain coping strategies. Descriptive and analytical analysis were performed by SPSS version 25.
Results: The findings revealed that moderate PA was experienced by 65.6% of the individuals, low PA by 32.0%, and high PA by only 2.3%. More people used passive coping (mean: 51.14 ±6.45) than active coping (mean: 25.32 ±3.72). While passive coping shown a negative correlation (r = -0.356, p < 0.01), active coping linked favorably with PA (r = 0.383, p < 0.01). Active coping was found by regression analysis to strongly predict greater PA levels (B = 57.34, p = 0.001). There were weaker positive correlations for duration of stroke and rehabilitation.
Conclusion: The study highlights the importance of active coping mechanisms in enhancing physical activity and recovery in stroke survivors. It calls for specialized rehabilitation programs that incorporate culturally sensitive therapies, adaptive coping mechanisms, and active pain management measures. These programs can help stroke survivors regain independence, increase functionality, and improve their overall quality of life.