Table 1 Characteristics of participants by whether they utilised rehabilitation services post-stroke

Rehabilitation after stroke

Demographic information

Age, mean (±SD)

52.8 (9.8)

51.6 (10.4)

0.22

Male

163/254 (64)

117/160 (73)

0.06

Education:

School certificate or less

97/251 (39)

54/160 (34)

0.25

HSC/trade certificate

68/251 (27)

43/160 (27)

0.57

Diploma/degree or higher (ref)

86/251 (34)

63/160 (39)

Married/defacto

159/254 (63)

106/160 (66)

0.12

Cognitive status score ( TICS <21)

44/220 (20)

21/154 (14)

0.11

Living alone

45/254 (18)

24/160 (15)

0.47

Medical history

Smoker

114/253 (45)

63/160 (39)

0.26

Hazardous drinking level (score >8 on AUDIT-C)

38/253 (15)

27/160 (17)

0.61

Co-morbidity (Charlson Comorbidity index)

141/253 (56)

67/159 (42)

0.01

Dependent in ADLs before stroke

6/253 (2)

2/159 (1)

0.43

Previous treatment for depression

98/254 (39)

53/160 (33)

0.26

Economic circumstances

Employment (pre-stroke)

Full-time/part-time (ref)

156/254 (61)

115/160 (72)

Retired/unemployed

98/254 (39)

45/160 (28)

0.03

Manual occupation (pre-stroke)

123/230 (53)

74/153 (48)

0.33

Income

Low (<AUD$600 per week)

49/226 (22)

25/147(17)

0.16

Middle (AUD$600 to AUD$1000 per week)

38/226 (17)

28/147 (19)

0.91

High (>AUD$1000 per week) (ref)

109/226 (48)

83/147 (56)

No private health insurance

138/251 (55)

82/159 (52)

0.50

No income protection insurance

227/251 (90)

137/159 (86)

0.18

Carer payment/allowance

86/252 (34)

44/159 (28)

0.17

Economic hardship at baseline

91/254 (36)

59/160 (37)

0.83

Main earner in household

144/249 (58)

100/159 (63)

0.31

Social capital

Believes they have the power to make important decisions

187/247 (76)

138/159 (87)

<0.01

Likely to have access to someone beyond close relatives willing and able to lend one week’s wages

199/247 (90)

132/156 (85)

0.30

Agree that most people in their neighbourhood are willing to help

195/251 (78)

111/159 (70)

0.07

Believes they need to be alert to potential harm in their neighbourhood

74/249 (30)

53/158 (34)

0.42

Number of telephone calls (week) (±SD)

30.4 (29.1)

32.2 (28.7)

0.55

Number of close friends (±SD)

9.5 (11.8)

8.1 (10.4)

0.22

Number of times got together with family/friends since stroke

3.5(6.0)

4.6 (5.4)

0.05

AFTER STROKE (28 days)

Stroke sub-type

Ischaemic (ref)

209/254 (82)

136/160 (85)

Intracerebral haemorrhage

32/254 (13)

15/160 (9)

0.67

Subarachnoid haemorrhage

2/254 (1)

2/160 (1)

0.63

Unknown/missing

11/254 (5)

7/160 (5)

0.39

Dependent in activities of daily living at 28 days

71/232 (31)

3/154 (2)

<0.01

Returned to any paid work

23/155 (15)

52/113 (46)

<0.01

Depression at 28 days (HADS depression subscale >= 8)

36/218 (17)

17/154 (11)

0.14

Anxiety at 28 days (HADS anxiety subscale >= 8)

55/218 (25)

37/154 (24)

0.79