2.3 Study population
The study population consisted of all patients admitted to the neurology
department of a training and research hospital in Istanbul between July
2014 and December 2015. During the study period 514 patients were
admitted to the neurology service with the diagnosis of stroke. Of these
patients, 12 died, 53 were transferred to other wards, and 85 refused to
participate in the study. Among 364 patients who were followed up in the
ward and agreed to participate in the study, 205 cases who met the study
criteria were included in the study. Literate patients older than 18
years of age without mental retardation who were being followed up for
at least 48 hours and agreed to participate in the survey consisted the
study population.
Aphasic patients, cases with visual and hearing impairments with whom
exchange of information is impossible, and patients with musculoskeletal
and nervous system disorders other than stroke (developmental hip
dysplasia, advanced osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing
spondylitis, amputation, myasthenia gravis, Parkinson’s disease) were
not included in the study.