ABSTRACT NUMBER: ESOC2026YS162 SEX AND SOCIOECONOMIC DIFFERENCES IN RISK FACTORS, CLINICAL PRESENTATION, AND THIRTY-DAY OUTCOMES OF STROKE PATIENTS AT TERTIARY HOSPITALS IN TANZANIA

Abstract Background and aims Stroke is a leading cause of mortality and disability globally, with LMICs contributing the largest burden of incidence, deaths, and DALYs. Sex differences and socioeconomic status (SES) are well-documented determinants of stroke outcomes in high-income countries, but evidence from sub-Saharan Africa, including Tanzania, remains limited and inconsistent. Stroke ranks among the top ten causes of mortality in Tanzania, and despite recent government efforts to establish stroke units and a national registry, evidence is scarce on the subject, limiting the development of equitable, context-specific stroke care strategies. The study aims at evaluating sex- and socioeconomic-related differences in vascular risk factors, clinical presentation, and 30-day outcomes among adult stroke patients admitted at three largest tertiary referral hospitals in Tanzania. Methods This is a multicenter prospective cohort study among consecutive adults (≥18 years) admitted with neuroimaging-confirmed stroke to the largest three tertiary referral hospitals in Tanzania. Clinical and outcome data are obtained from established hospital-based stroke registry and supplemented with socioeconomic and female-specific risk factors. Socioeconomic status is assessed using a standardized composite index adapted from the Demographic and Health Survey wealth methodology and categorized using principal component analysis. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality, with functional outcome assessed using the modified Rankin Scale. Survival was analyzed using Kaplan–Meier methods and Cox proportional hazards regression. Results The study is on its inital phases of data collection with a total anticipated sample size of 630 participants in the one year of the study duration. Conflict of interest Joshua Ngimbwa. Nothing to disclose