Morale in very old people who have had a stroke

Stroke incidence increases with age and may impact on morale. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of stroke among individuals aged 85 years or older in Northern Sweden and Western Finland and to evaluate factors associated with morale among those who have had a stroke compared with those without a stroke history. This population-based, cross-sectional study included 708 individuals (504 women and 204 men) aged 85 years and older (range 85-107). The study was conducted through structured interviews during home visits and from reviews of medical records, where demographic data and health-related factors were collected. The 17-item Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale (PGCMS) was used to assess morale. Stroke-prevalence was 22% (156 of 708) in the study population. Ninety-one of 465 participants who could answer PGCMS questions had had a stroke. Those with stroke had significantly lower PGCMS scores than those without (10.9±3.8 SD vs. 12.1±3.0 SD, p-value 0.008), but 38.5% had high morale. A multiple linear regression analysis showed that low morale was independently associated with depression, angina pectoris and impaired hearing among those with stroke and another multiple linear regression, among those without a stroke history, showed that low morale was independently associated with depression, pain and poor nutritional status. A large proportion of very old have had stroke which is associated with reduced morale. Low morale among those with stroke was independently associated with depression, angina pectoris and impaired hearing which could be the focus for future intervention studies.