Association of Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status With Outcomes in Patients Surviving Stroke

Objective To examine associations between neighborhood socioeconomic status (nSES) and 90-day poststroke outcomes.Methods The Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi Project is a population-based surveillance study in Nueces County, Texas. Patients with strokes were identified between 2010 and 2016 via active and passive surveillance and enrolled in the study. nSES index is a standardized composite of 2010 Census tract?level income, wealth, education, and employment (median −4.56, interquartile range −7.48 to −0.46). The 90-day outcomes were ascertained via interview: functional status measured by the average of 22 activities of daily living/instrumental activities of daily living (range 1?4), biopsychosocial health by the Stroke-Specific Quality of Life scale (range 0?5), and depressive symptoms by the 8-item Patient Health Questionnaire (range 0?24). Associations between nSES and outcomes were estimated using confounder-adjusted generalized estimating equations with an nSES ? NIH Stroke Scale score interaction term.Results Seven hundred seventy-six survivors made up the analytical sample (52.96% male, 62.24% Mexican American, 52.96% ≥64 years old). Higher compared to lower nSES (mean difference comparing 75th to 25th percentile of nSES) was associated with better function (−0.27, 95% confidence interval [CI] −0.49 to −0.05), better biopsychosocial health (0.26, 95% CI 0.06?0.47), and fewer depressive symptoms (−1.77, 95% CI −3.306 to −0.48) among those with moderate to severe strokes. Among those with minor strokes, higher nSES was associated with better function (−0.13, 95% CI −0.24 to −0.02).Conclusions nSES may influence poststroke recovery. Studies should identify neighborhood characteristics that contribute to poststroke outcomes, particularly in moderate to severe stroke survivors.ADL=: activities of daily living; BASIC=: Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi; CI=: confidence interval; IADL=: instrumental ADL; ICF=: International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health; NIHSS=: NIH Stroke Scale; nSES=: neighborhood socioeconomic status; PHQ-8=: Patient Health Questionnaire Eight; SS-QOL=: Stroke-Specific Quality of Life