Which Sex- and Gender-Based Explanatory Variables Are Associated With Memory Function Poststroke? A Cross-Sectional Analysis of the National Health and Aging Trends Study.

Objective: To identify sex- and gender-based variables associated with immediate and delayed recall in individuals with stroke.

Design: This was a secondary analysis of data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) using general linear models with a standard stepwise approach.

Setting: Community.

Interventions: Not applicable.

Participants: Participants were eligible for the current analysis if they had a self-reported history of stroke at NHATS Round 1 (2011) and data available on our variables of interest. The final analyses included 366 participants for the immediate recall model and 365 participants for the delayed recall model.

Main outcome measures: Independent variables of interest included sex- (8 variables, for example biological sex, depression and anxiety, and comorbidities) and gender-related factors (14 variables, for example education, income, and independence with banking). The dependent variables of interest were the 10-word immediate and delayed recall tests, respectively.

Results: Higher immediate recall scores were associated with younger age, female biological sex, independence with banking, higher income, giving financial gifts, not requiring assistance with activities of daily living, and higher education (P<.001-.04). Higher delayed recall scores were associated with younger age, higher body mass index, higher education, placing importance in socializing, and independence with banking (P<.001-.04).

Conclusions: We conducted the largest analysis to date of sex- and gender-based factors associated with cognition in individuals with stroke. Stroke rehabilitation scientists and clinicians may consider both biological and sociodemographic factors associated with cognitive function, which may guide holistic poststroke assessments and interventions.