Prevalence and Predictors of Multivitamin Supplement Use After Stroke in Ghana

Multivitamins are commonly used supplements in high income countries, but their net benefit-risk, remains inconclusive. Little is known about the prevalence and predictors of multivitamin supplementation among individual with chronic illnesses in sub-Saharan Africa, especially stroke.

To assess the frequency and factors associated with of use of multivitamin supplement among stroke survivors in Ghana.

We analyzed prospectively collected data on consecutively encountered stroke survivors seen at an out-patient clinic in Ghana between January 2018 and March 2020. We collected baseline demographic and clinical details, and use of multivitamins among other secondary prevention medications prescribed. We assessed factors associated with multivitamin supplementation using a multivariable logistic regression analysis.

Among 1,101 stroke survivors, 324 (29.4%) were on multivitamin supplements. Factors independently associated with multivitamin use were being divorced (OR 2.88; 95% CI: 1.52-5.47), time since diagnosis of index per each month increase (OR 0.99; 95% CI: 0.99-1.00), and number of prescribed classes of antihypertensive medications (OR 0.81; 95% CI: 0.72-0.92).

Nearly a third of stroke survivors in this Ghanaian sample were on multivitamin supplementation, with select socio-clinical factors being linked to this practice. Future studies should examine how/if this practice is interfering with optimal stroke outcomes.