Abstract WP59: Latino Ethnicity Is Associated With Reduced Cognitive Functioning After Stroke Inpatient Rehabilitation

Abstract

Brief Introduction: Stroke is one of the leading causes of disability and mortality in the United States, with higher prevalence and functional burden among Latino communities compared to Whites (García & Warren, 2019). The inpatient rehabilitation milieu provides a unique opportunity to examine ethnic differences in stroke functionality. Yet, little is known regarding the functional outcomes of the inpatient stroke rehabilitation experience of Latinos (Cruz-Flores et al., 2011). Therefore, the current study examined the associations between Latino ethnicity and poststroke outcomes in the context of stroke inpatient rehabilitation. Methods: This is a cross-sectional and retrospective analysis of data extracted from an administrative database for years 2005-2016 of 172,937 stroke patients. Data were pooled from inpatient rehabilitation facilities that participated in the secure platform eRehabData. Participants included were 1) age 18 or above, 2) had a stroke admitting diagnosis (ICD 9/10 codes 430-438/I60-I69), and 3) self-reported ethnicity as Latino or White. The analytic strategy included two hierarchical regression analyses and one Independent Samples t-test. Ethnicity was dummy coded to examine differences in outcomes between Latino and White stroke patients. Sociodemographic and clinical covariates were entered into block 1 of each separate hierarchical regression model, consistent with previous studies. Block 2 of each model comprised the outcome measures: admission cognitive functioning scores and discharge cognitive functioning scores. Results: Latinos had greater BMI and lower age compared to Whites. No ethnic differences in LOS were found. Hierarchical regression analyses controlling for covariates showed that Latino participants (relative to Whites) had lower admission cognitive functioning scores and discharge cognitive functioning scores. Conclusions: Ethnic differences were found for Latinos in cognitive functioning at different points throughout stroke inpatient rehabilitation, even after accounting for clinical and sociodemographic covariates. Results are discussed within a framework of social determinants of stroke health for Latinos.