Demographic and clinical characteristics at baseline
| Variable | Control (n=67) | Intervention (n=71) |
|---|---|---|
| Mean age in years (SD; range) | 61.4 (12.7; 24–86) | 55.2 (16.7; 27–97) |
| Female gender | 36 (53.7) | 39 (54.9) |
| Living with | ||
| Alone | 10 (14.9) | 13 (18.3) |
| Partner/family | 57 (85.1) | 58 (81.7) |
| Relationship to patient* | (n=30) | (n=31) |
| Partner | 21 (70.0) | 20 (64.5) |
| Child | 7 (23.3) | 9 (29.0) |
| Sibling/other | 2 (6.7) | 2 (6.5) |
| Mean years of schooling (SD; range) | 11.8 (3.6; 2–21) | 12.1 (3.3; 6–20) |
| REALM grade equivalent† | (n=62) | (n=67) |
| ≤3rd | 0 | 1 (1.5%) |
| 4th–6th | 3 (4.8) | 3 (4.5) |
| 7th–8th | 19 (30.6) | 19 (28.4) |
| ≥9th | 40 (64.5) | 44 (65.7) |
| Patient stroke type | (n=36)§ | (n=40) |
| Ischaemic | 31 (86.1) | 29 (72.5) |
| Haemorrhagic | 5 (13.9) | 10 (25) |
| TIA | 0 | 1 (2.5) |
| Patient side of stroke‡ | (n=36)§ | (n=40) |
| Left | 12 (33.3) | 15 (37.5) |
| Right | 21 (58.3) | 24 (60.0) |
| Bilateral | 3 (8.3) | 1 (2.5) |
| First-time stroke‡ | (n=37) 31 (83.8) | (n=40) 27 (67.5) |
Values are numbers (percentages) unless otherwise stated.
*Carer participants only.
†Eight patients and one carer were unable to complete REALM due to poor vision.
‡Patient participants only.
§One patient's stroke type and side was missing.
REALM, Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine; TIA, transient ischaemic attack.