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. 2025 Sep 5;15(9):e091096. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-091096

Table 4. Prevalence ratios of mental health symptoms associated with lifetime stroke, the 2019 and 2018 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS).

Moderate-to-severe depression symptoms
n=30 872
Moderate-to-severe anxiety symptoms
n=30 872
Serious psychological distress
n=24 593
aPR (95% CI) aPR (95% CI) aPR (95% CI)
Stroke ever
 No Ref Ref Ref
 Yes 1.59*** (1.36 to 1.86) 1.52*** (1.24 to 1.86) 1.76*** (1.34 to 2.30)
Sex
 Male Ref Ref Ref
 Female 1.35*** (1.21 to 1.50) 1.64*** (1.46 to 1.84) 1.43*** (1.21 to 1.70)
Race and ethnicity
 NH white Ref Ref Ref
 Hispanic 0.80* (0.68 to 0.95) 0.71*** (0.59 to 0.85) 0.99 (0.77 to 1.27)
 NH black 0.70*** (0.59 to 0.83) 0.64*** (0.53 to 0.78) 0.68** (0.51 to 0.90)
 NH other single or multiple races 0.71** (0.56 to 0.90) 0.79* (0.63 to 0.98) 1.01 (0.72 to 1.40)
Age (years)
 ≥65 Ref Ref Ref
 45–59 2.35*** (1.96 to 2.83) 3.01*** (2.39 to 3.79) 2.82*** (2.12 to 3.74)
 18–44 3.20*** (2.61 to 3.92) 4.82*** (3.76 to 6.18) 3.42*** (2.50 to 4.67)
Marital status or living arrangement
 Not married and not living with a partner Ref Ref Ref
 Married or living with a partner 0.77*** (0.69 to 0.85) 0.86** (0.77 to 0.95) 0.65*** (0.55 to 0.78)
Census region
 Northeast Ref Ref Ref
 Midwest 1.00 (0.85 to 1.17) 1.01 (0.85 to 1.19) 0.98 (0.76 to 1.28)
 South 0.96 (0.82 to 1.12) 1.02 (0.87 to 1.20) 0.99 (0.78 to 1.24)
 West 0.98 (0.82 to 1.17) 1.06 (0.88 to 1.28) 1.11 (0.85 to 1.44)
Highest education among family members
 Less than HS Ref Ref Ref
 HS graduate 0.93 (0.79 to 1.09) 0.83* (0.70 to 1.00) 1.04 (0.81 to 1.32)
 Some college 1.03 (0.88 to 1.21) 0.90 (0.76 to 1.07) 0.98 (0.79 to 1.22)
 College degree or more 0.99 (0.83 to 1.19) 0.80* (0.66 to 0.97) 0.99 (0.76 to 1.29)
Worked last week
 No* Ref Ref Ref
 Yes 0.56*** (0.50 to 0.64) 0.64*** (0.56 to 0.73) 0.51*** (0.42 to 0.62)
Family poverty level
 400+% FPL Ref Ref Ref
 200–399% FPL 1.52*** (1.31 to 1.77) 1.60*** (1.35 to 1.91) 1.88*** (1.44 to 2.44)
 0–199% FPL 1.85*** (1.56 to 2.19) 1.93*** (1.60 to 2.34) 1.98*** (1.51 to 2.59)
Current insurance status
 Private insurance only (excluding Medicare)§ Ref Ref Ref
 Any public insurance (excluding Medicare Medicare) 1.57*** (1.34 to 1.84) 1.49*** (1.26 to 1.78) 1.89*** (1.43 to 2.50)
 Any Medicare coverage** 1.43*** (1.16 to 1.76) 1.48** (1.16 to 1.88) 1.55* (1.09 to 2.20)
 Uninsured 1.38*** (1.14 to 1.66) 1.17 (0.97 to 1.42) 1.71*** (1.27 to 2.29)
 Unknown 1.48** (1.14 to 1.94) 1.34* (1.03 to 1.75) 1.74** (1.18 to 2.58)
Body mass index
 18.5–25.0 (underweight) 1.31 (0.94 to 1.83) 1.02 (0.73 to 1.43) 1.28 (0.77 to 2.14)
 <18.5 (healthy weight) Ref Ref Ref
 25.0–30.0 (overweight) 1.02 (0.89 to 1.17) 1.01 (0.86 to 1.17) 0.94 (0.76 to 1.16)
 ≥30.0 (obese) 1.26*** (1.12 to 1.43) 1.17* (1.01 to 1.35) 1.30** (1.07 to 1.57)
 Unknown 0.89 (0.65 to 1.22) 0.82 (0.58 to 1.16) N/A††
Smoking frequency
 Not at all Ref Ref Ref
 Some days 1.54*** (1.25 to 1.89) 1.61*** (1.29 to 2.00) 1.61** (1.18 to 2.20)
 Every day 1.66*** (1.46 to 1.88) 1.69*** (1.47 to 1.94) 1.96*** (1.61 to 2.40)
History of other chronic conditions (reference=never had this condition)
 COPD 1.63*** (1.41 to 1.87) 1.59*** (1.37 to 1.85) 1.52*** (1.19 to 1.93)
 Cancer 1.11 (0.97 to 1.27) 0.96 (0.80 to 1.14) 0.94 (0.76 to 1.18)
 Diabetes 1.39*** (1.21 to 1.60) 1.32*** (1.14 to 1.53) 1.19 (0.98 to 1.45)
 Connective tissue disease (eg, arthritis) 2.10*** (1.86 to 2.38) 2.00*** (1.74 to 2.29) 2.14*** (1.79 to 2.56)

Models are estimated using Poisson log-linear regression with robust SE, adjusting for sample weights and survey design elements.

*p<0.05 **p<0.01 ***p<0.001.

*

Includes adults who were unemployed and those who were not in the labour force.

Includes adults who worked for and not for pay.

Family poverty level is drawn from NHIS imputed income files.

§

Includes adults covered by non-Medicare private insurance; excludes adults covered by any publicly funded insurance.

Includes adults covered by non-Medicare publicly funded insurance, regardless of whether they were also covered by non-Medicare private insurance; excludes adults covered by any Medicare plans.

**

Includes adults covered by Medicare, regardless of whether they were also covered by other private or public insurance plans.

††

Body mass index had no missing values in 2018 NHIS.

aPR, adjusted prevalence ratio; NH, non-Hispanic; HS, high school; FPL, federal poverty level; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.