The Canadian Stroke Congress is Canada’s go-to meeting in stroke research and innovation, bringing together national and international leaders in the field. This year’s conference agenda included workshops for Trainees, Early Career Researchers, Research Coordinators, People with Stroke Lived Experience, and more!
Pictured: Dr. Brodie Sakakibara and Dr. Nancy Salbach
WORKSHOP: Delivering Remote Therapies Speakers: Dr. Nancy Salbach, Dr. Brodie Sakakibara Delivering remote therapies: Considerations for assessment, client engagement, and self-management (Dr. Nancy Salbach) Demonstration of telerehabilitation delivery (Dr. Brodie Sakakibara)
Pictured: Michelle Yang (PhD Candidate)
Sociodemographic, health, and behavioural predictors of diet quality in people with stroke
Michelle Yang ¹, Miranda Smith ¹, Sarah Purcell ¹, Maureen Ashe ¹, Tricia Tang ¹, Brodie Sakakibara ¹
¹ University of British Columbia
Background: Dietary quality reflects an overall dietary pattern that considers individual dietary components (e .g ., fruits and vegetables) and nutrients (e .g ., saturated fatty acids and vitamins) . Emerging research suggests that overall diet quality may be a more important indicator of health outcomes than individual dietary components or nutrients . Diet quality may be particularly relevant for reducing risk related to metabolic syndrome (MetS)—a common condition among people with stroke and a contributing factor to secondary events following initial stroke onset . However, there is limited understanding of the factors associated with diet quality among people with (i) stroke and (ii) stroke with comorbid MetS. The study objectives were to: (1) identify sociodemographic, health, and behavioural variables that predict overall diet quality in people with stroke; and (2) examine the associations of these predictors among stroke survivors with MetS . Methods: This secondary analysis of baseline data from a larger randomized controlled trial included individuals aged ≥50 years, within one-year post-stroke, with mild to moderate stroke severity . Diet quality (dependent variable) was assessed using the Smart Diet food frequency questionnaire and converted into a Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) score . PURE scores ranged from 0–24, with higher scores indicating poorer diet quality (‘better’ = 0–13; ‘poorer’ = 14–24) . Independent variables included: (1) sociodemographic (e .g ., age, sex, marital status, education level); (2) health (e .g ., stroke severity, number of comorbid conditions); and (3) behavioural factors (e .g ., stress management, physical activity) . Hierarchical linear regression models using forward selection and backward elimination were conducted to develop parsimonious prediction models . Canadian Stroke Congress | May 24-25, 2026 | Banff Centre for Arts & CreativityResults: Among the 89 participants included, 59 (66 .3%) were male and 56 (62 .9%) were categorized as having MetS . Among individuals with MetS (n = 56), the mean age was 68 .5 ± 9 .6 years, and 36 (64 .3%) were male . Regression analyses among all study participants showed that a greater number of comorbid conditions (β = 0 .22, p = 0 .044) and higher levels of physical activity (β = −0 .31, p = 0 .006) were significant predictors of diet quality (p < 0 .05) . Among individuals with MetS, greater stroke severity (β = −0 .27, p = 0 .044) and greater number of comorbid conditions (β = −0 .33, p = 0 .017) were significant predictors of diet quality (p < 0 .05) . Congrès Canadien de l’AVC 68 Canadian Stroke Congress Conclusion: Higher physical activity levels and a greater number of comorbid conditions were associated with better overall diet quality among people with stroke . Increased stroke severity was also associated with diet quality among individuals with MetS . These findings highlight the importance of considering physical activity alongside diet quality, particularly among stroke survivors with greater comorbidity burden and higher stroke severity, to support secondary prevention efforts for future interventions.
Pictured: Dr. Kenneth Noguchi
Adapting the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile II to measure self-management skills in people with stroke: A psychometric study
Kenneth Noguchi ¹, Janice J Eng ¹, Brodie Sakakibara ¹
¹ University of British Columbia
Background: The Canadian Stroke Best Practices recommend improving self-management abilities and skills after stroke for ongoing recovery and secondary prevention purposes . However, few measures adequately capture the construct of selfmanagement, making it difficult to assess the effects of self-management interventions . The objectives of this study were to: (1) adapt the 52-item Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile II (HPLP-II) to a measure of self-management ability; (2) examine the factor structure of the self-management measure in people with stroke; and (3) to examine the associations between age, sex, education, stroke severity, physical activity levels, and self-management . Methods: This was a secondary analysis using data of the Stroke Coach randomized controlled trial . Participants were randomized to a telehealth self-management intervention or memory training attention-control . Individuals were eligible for the present study if they had complete data on the HPLP-II . Nineteen items from the HPLP-II were first conceptually chosen to represent self-management ability based on the domains of a conceptual framework: problem solving (4 items), decision making (3 items), resource utilization (3 items), patient-provider relations (3 items), action planning (4 items), Canadian Stroke Congress | May 24-25, 2026 | Banff Centre for Arts & Creativityand self-tailoring (2 items) . Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to examine the factor structure of the new measure . Univariable analyses explored the relationships between the new measure with age, sex, education, and stroke severity (modified Rankin Scale) . Multivariable regression analysis was used to examine the relationships between the final measure with physical activity (steps per day) . Congrès Canadien de l’AVC 47 Canadian Stroke Congress Results: All participants in the trial (n=126; age 68 .1±9 .7 years; time post-stroke 7 .1±3 .6 months; 31% female) were eligible for the EFA . Parallel analysis, scree plots, and minimum average partial correlations suggested a single factor structure . One item was removed due to low factor loading . The new measure had high internal consistency (alpha=0 .86) . Univariable analyses showed relationships with sex (female: +4 .6 points, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0 .9-8 .3, p=0 .02), education (r=0 .20, p=0 .02), and stroke severity (F(3,122)=3 .40, p=0 .02) . There was no relationship with age (r=-0 .03, p=0 .74) . After adjusting for sex, education and stroke severity, the new self-management measure was independently associated with steps per day (b=82 .4, 95% CI: 9 .9-154 .9; p=0 .026) . Conclusion: A novel 18-item self-management ability measure was developed . The measure had high internal consistency and was higher in those who were females, more educated, and lower stroke severity . The measure was also independently associated with physical activity levels . Notably, the measure’s items were specific to select health domains such as physical activity, nutrition, and spiritual growth . Future research should adapt and test the psychometric properties of a more generic version of the measure
Pictured: Dr. Elise Wiley
Exploring the natural history of chronic disease self-management and health resource utilization after stroke (ENHANCE): A protocol for an analysis of clinical outcomes
Elise Wiley ¹, Jennifer C Davis ², Krista Best ³, Joanie Bédard ³, Kathleen Martin-Ginis ¹, Jennifer Monaghan ¹, Courtney Pollock ¹, Sarah A Purcell ⁴, Amy Schneeberg ¹, Aleksander Tkach ⁵, Brodie Sakakibara ¹
¹ University of British Columbia, ² Faculty of Management, University of British Columbia, Okanagan, ³ Laval University, ⁴ School of Health and Exercise Sciences, University of British Columbia- Okanagan, ⁵ Interior Health
Introduction: Stroke is a leading cause of disability in Canada, with many individuals experiencing physical and psychological impairments . Shorter lengths of hospital stays and unmet recovery needs place greater emphasis on the self-management activities performed by individuals upon returning to community living . The ability to self-manage in key domains (i .e ., behavioural, emotional, life roles) empowers individuals to maintain their long-term health and wellbeing . To date, we possess a limited understanding of long-term chronic disease self-management among individuals with stroke beginning in the early stages of community reintegration . Thus, our objectives are to: 1) Characterize the trajectories of self-management domains over 12-months after stroke; and 2) Examine if the 12-month trajectories differ by salient demographic (e .g ., sex, age) and health variables (e .g ., stroke severity, multimorbidity) . Canadian Stroke Congress | May 24-25, 2026 | Banff Centre for Arts & CreativityCongrès Canadien de l’AVC 57 Canadian Stroke Congress Methods: A single group, multi-site (Kelowna, Vancouver, Quebec City), longitudinal research study design (n=94) will be conducted . We will recruit older (>50 years old) individuals within 6-months of being discharged from in-or outpatient stroke rehabilitation . Data collection will occur at baseline, 3-, 6-, 9- and 12 months . Our primary clinical outcome, selfmanagement ability, will be measured using the Health Education Impact Questionnaire . We will also collect data on three self-management domains: Behavioural -1) 4-day walking physical activity measured via Modus StepWatch Activity Monitors, 2) Dietary intake recorded by 3-day food diaries, and 3) Sleep quality assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index; Emotion – Emotional/mental health will be assessed using the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale; and Life roles – Quality of participation will be measured using the Measure of Experiential Aspects of participation . For our primary objective, mixed-effect model analyses will be constructed, using fixed occasion designs . Separate mixed model analyses will be conducted for each self-management-related dependent variable . For our secondary objective, the moderating role of salient demographic and health variables will be each independently explored in separate models . We will include an interaction term between the relevant demographic variable and time where time will be treated as a continuous variable (e .g ., sex*time) . Projected Impact: Findings from this longitudinal study may reveal the timepoints along the continuum of stroke recovery where individuals experience the greatest rates of change in self-management abilities, and thus informing the optimal timing for clinicians to intervene and offer valuable strategies . Moreover, the trajectories among individuals possessing certain demographic characteristics (e .g ., female sex, older age) may help clinicians identify, and importantly target individuals who will maximally benefit from self-management support interventions
