title: Association between socioeconomic status and functional impairment 3 months after ischemic stroke: the Berlin Stroke Register.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to analyze the association between patient socioeconomic status and functional impairment 3 months after ischemic stroke and to identify factors that influence this association.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were obtained from the Berlin Stroke Register, a network of 14 stroke units in Berlin. Ischemic stroke patients consecutively admitted to 1 of the hospitals in the Berlin Stroke Register between June 2010 and September 2011, were followed-up 3 months after the index event by postal or telephone interview. We used multivariable logistic regression to examine the association between highest education as marker of socioeconomic status and functional impairment after stroke defined by Barthel Index categories. We adjusted for age, sex, prestroke dependency, stroke severity, functional deficit after stroke onset, and comorbidities as possible confounding factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 1688 ischemic stroke patients who were alive at 3 months and completed the questionnaire were included in the analysis; 40% of the patients were female and 50% of the patients were 70 years or older. Age, prestroke dependency, stroke severity, and the absence of comorbidities were significantly associated with good functional outcome at 3 months. In multivariable analysis, a higher probability of good outcome was observed in patients with college or university degree (odds ratio, 2.18; 95% confidence interval, 1.39-3.42) compared with patients with no completed education.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with lower education have considerably lower rates of good functional outcome after stroke that cannot be fully explained by variations in the patients' clinical and demographic characteristics.
authors.affiliation: Center for Stroke Research Berlin, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany. maike.grube@charite.de
authors.forename: Maike Miriam
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Grube
authors.forename: Hans-Christian
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Koennecke
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Walter
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thümmler
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Meisel
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Wellwood
authors.forename: Peter Ulrich
authors.initials: PU
authors.lastname: Heuschmann
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001604:Berlin / Q000453:epidemiology; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012042:Registries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012923:Social Class; D020521:Stroke / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult