Högskolan i Skövde

The aim of the study is to describe disability among younger stroke patients by analyzing activity and participation and the environmental aspect as well as to compare assessed and self-perceived problems after stroke. International Classification of Functioning and Health (ICF) is a tool that provides a scientific basis for understanding and studying health and health-related states. ICF core sets have been developed to increase the usefulness of ICF in everyday practice and were gathered for 71 younger persons with stroke by interviews. Self-perceived problems were assessed with the Stroke Impact Scale. The data are presented by their most common categories in activity and participation and environmental factors. The ICF core sets and the SIS identified different things as being the most difficult. The problems that are most obvious in an assessment are activity and participation and the environmental factors are more difficult to assess. The study shows that there are broad spectra of problems among younger stroke patients mainly identified in the area of activity and participation. Assessed and perceived problems are not always the same, which is of clinical importance.