Abstract 422: The Impact of Household Composition on Acute Ischemic Strokes: Acute and Chronic Implications

Introduction Stroke presents a significant global health challenge, impacting physical and mental well‐being. Social Isolation (SI) is a known risk factor and common complication affecting functional outcomes and impeding recovery. In this study we investigate the role of household composition as a potential social determinant of health after acute ischemic stroke (AIS) that providers can target to identify patients at higher risk for stroke and enhance patient outcomes. We assessed how variations in household composition correlate with the severity of stroke, the occurrence and development of SI, and subsequent functional recovery at 3 months after discharge. Methods This study examines the relationship between house composition, depressive symptoms, the Modified Rankin Scale (mRS), and the National Institute of Health Stroke Score (NIHSS) aiming to predict acute stroke severity and functional recovery among AIS patients (N=130). Household composition was defined as the amount of people the patient lives with. Depression was measured via the PHQ‐9, which is a self‐report with higher scores indicating more severe depression. This questionnaire was completed by the patients prior to their discharge. Results Our findings showed that AIS patients living with fewer people at admission are more likely to have an increased NIHSS score, indicating more severe strokes (p<0.005). However, we found that regardless of injury severity, increased household composition was associated with a reduced likelihood of depressive symptoms 3 months post hospitalization (p<0.005). When controlling for household size, females were found to be more likely to suffer from depressive symptoms at 3 months compared to their male counterparts (p<0.005). Conclusion Controlling post‐stroke depressive symptoms emerged as a statistically significant factor for improved functional outcomes, highlighting the importance of early intervention and management of depression in stroke care. Living with an increased number of people could act as a protective factor for stroke severity due to its positive effect on recovery and post‐stroke outcomes. These findings underscore the necessity of integrating assessments of living conditions, depression and social isolation into stroke care protocols to enhance outcomes and address broader health disparities, ultimately improving the quality of life for stroke survivors.