Socio-Demographic and Disability Disparities in Stroke by Citizenship Status: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

This study aims to assess relationships between previous stroke diagnosis and demographic or disability status variables, stratified by U.S. citizenship status. The 2019 and 2021 National Health Interview Survey data were analyzed for both descriptive statistics and logistic regression models. Age, sex, income level, race/ethnicity, health insurance status, and indicators of disability common after stroke were predictor variables of interest. For each disability predictor variable, higher odds of having stroke were seen regardless of citizenship status, except for the ‘difficulty remembering’ variable. For U.S. citizens, increasing age corresponded with higher odds of stroke diagnosis. For noncitizens, odds ratios decreased from 40.3 (95% CI 38.88–41.82) for the 40–65 age group to 29.6 (95% CI 28.38–30.77) in the 80 + group, when compared with the 18–39 age reference group. Female noncitizens had higher odds of stroke, while male citizens had higher odds. Non-Hispanic Black citizens had higher odds of stroke, while the other racial/ethnic groups had higher odds for noncitizens. The results indicated the existence of several socio-demographic disparities in stroke. Notably, noncitizens experienced stroke at a younger age and reported more severe disability outcomes after stroke diagnosis than citizens.