earticle

영어

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of communi-ty-based walking training (CWT) on the walking ability and fall-related self-efficacy of chronic stroke patients and compare the effects of CWT to the conventional walking programs in stroke patients. Previous stud-ies focused on walking speed, walking endurance, and balance. How-ever, no studies have examined the changes in fall-related self-efficacy after CWT. In order to achieve purpose of this study, 45 chronic stroke patients, who were hospitalized at National Rehabilitation Center, were randomly divided into the CWT group (CWTG, n=15), the treadmill walk-ing training group (TWTG, n=15), and the control group (CG, n=15). The treatment was conducted 3 times per week (30 min each) for 4 weeks. CWT was carried out by gradually increasing the difficulty level in vari-ous environments outside the hospital room. The results revealed that the CWTG was more effective in enhancing the walking ability and fall-related self-efficacy than the TWTG and the CG. These findings demonstrated that the CWTG increased the walking ability and fall-re-lated self-efficacy of chronic stroke patients. Therefore, we suggest that adding CWT to standard rehabilitation might be an effective meth-od for improving walking ability and fall-related self-efficacy in chronic stroke patients.