title: Racial differences in poststroke rehabilitation utilization and functional outcomes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine racial differences in poststroke rehabilitation utilization and functional outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Observational follow-up study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Designated stroke center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Stroke survivors (N=162; 106 whites and 56 blacks) surveyed at 1 year poststroke.
  
  
  METHODS
  Not applicable.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-question measure of activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) performance, life participation, and driving. One-year follow-up data collected from stroke survivors as part of the Stroke Education and Prevention-South Carolina Project were examined for racial disparities in rehabilitation utilization and functional outcomes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Analyses revealed no significant differences between blacks and whites for rehabilitation utilization. In multivariate comparisons controlling for stroke severity, blacks were less likely to report independence in overall functional performance and domain-specific measures of toileting, walking, transportation, laundry, and shopping. Blacks also reported less independence in driving at 1-year follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Blacks were less likely to report independence in performing ADL and IADL at 1 year poststroke after controlling for stroke severity. Racial disparities were reported in ADL and IADL performance despite a lack of racial differences in rehabilitation utilization. Future studies are needed to further understand the reason for this disparity in reported functional independence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC. Electronic address: ellisc14@ecu.edu.
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ellis
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pediatrics and Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC.
authors.forename: Andrea D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Boan
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, MUSC Stroke Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC.
authors.forename: Tanya N
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Turan
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, MUSC Stroke Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC.
authors.forename: Shelly
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ozark
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, MUSC Stroke Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bachman
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, MUSC Stroke Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC.
authors.forename: Daniel T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Lackland
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D044469:Racial Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D058992:Social Participation; D013022:South Carolina; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: Ethnic groups; Rehabilitation; Stroke