Table 3 Rehabilitation Impact Indices, premorbid and at admission health status variables (n = 685)

Sex

 Male

290

25.4 (±25.6)

59.3 (±38)

1.9 (±3.4)

 Female

395

24.7 (±21.2)

63.5 (±37.3)

2.1 (±2.2)

 p-value

0.407

0.112

0.549

Age

 <85 years

348

26.4 (±24.4)

64.7 (±38.3)

2.1 (±3.1)

 ≥85 years

337

23.5 (±21.6)

58.7 (±36.8)

1.9 (±2.5)

 p-value

0.026

0.009

0.161

Medical history

 Heart failure

170

20.5 (±24.6)

62.8 (±40.3)

1.6 (±3.2)

 No heart failure

515

26.5 (±22.5)

61.4 (±36.8)

2.1 (±2.6)

 p-value

0.013

0.250

0.228

 Pulmonary disease

211

20.9 (±26.1)

59.5 (±40.5)

1.7 (±3.1)

 No pulmonary disease

474

26.8 (±21.4)

62.7 (±36.3)

2.1 (±2.6)

 p-value

0.017

0.778

0.101

 Cerebrovascular disease

135

22.9 (±23.1)

56.8 (±39.6)

1.6 (±2.8)

 No cerebrovascular disease

550

25.5 (±23.1)

62.9 (±37.1)

2.1 (±2.8)

 p-value

0.155

0.120

0.139

 Dementia

332

22.9 (±20)

57.5 (±38.7)

1.9 (±2.6)

 No dementia

353

27 (±25.6)

65.7 (±36.2)

2.1 (±3)

 p-value

<0.001

0.018

0.009

Comorbidity (Charlson index)

 ≤1 (absence of comorbidity)

183

29.7 (±20.6)

65.9 (±33.3)

2.6 (±2.5)

 2 (low comorbidity)

143

25.5 (±23.1)

59.3 (±39)

2 (±2.9)

 3 or more (high comorbidity)

359

22.4 (±24)

60.6 (±39.1)

1.7 (±2.9)

 p-value

0.002

0.647

0.003

Previous functional capacity, key activities (Lawton index, points)^a

 0

 1–5

272

19.4 (±19.4)

56.9 (±40.3)

1.7 (±2.5)

 6–8

247

26.3 (±23.7)

63.4 (±36.8)

2.2 (±2.7)

 p-value

151

32.1 (±25.9)

66.9 (±33.1)

2.2 (±3.4)

<0.001

0.019

0.111

Previous functional capacity (premorbid Barthel index, points)

 0–20

27

15.7 (±13.4)

51.3 (±50.4)

1.7 (±2)

 21–40

64

16.3 (±12.9)

70 (±38.4)

1.4 (±1.2)

 41–60

141

19.4 (±19.6)

57.7 (±41.3)

1.6 (±2.4)

 61–100

453

28.5 (±24.9)

62.4 (±35.3)

2.2 (±3.1)

 p-value

<0.001

0.074

0.023

Previous living situation

 Alone

215

30.8 (±23.9)

64.7 (±34.8)

2.2 (±2.8)

 With family

357

23.5 (±22.5)

62.1 (±38.5)

1.9 (±2.7)

 With others

67

22.2 (±20.2)

58.2 (±37.6)

1.9 (±2.7)

 Residential/assisted living centre

46

13.2 (±21.4)

49.8 (±42.4)

1.6 (±2.9)

 p-value

<0.001

0.317

0.015

Source of referral

 Acute care geriatric unit

439

23.2 (±21.5)

60.1 (±38.2)

2.1 (±2.4)

 Other medical-surgical specialties

246

28.2 (±25.6)

64.7 (±36.5)

1.9 (±3.4)

 p-value

<0.001

0.210

0.343

Functional capacity at admission (Barthel index, points)

 0–20

302

22.8 (±22.4)

50 (±39.4)

1.6 (±3)

 21–40

212

28.2 (±24.7)

68.1 (±34)

2.1 (±2.7)

 41–60

126

28.9 (±20.1)

73.9 (±30.8)

2.8 (±2.5)

 61–100

45

14.1 (±23.5)

77.7 (±36.2)

2 (±2.4)

 p-value

<0.001

<0.001

0.001

Cognitive deterioration at admission (Pfeiffer test, error) ^b

 Little or none (0–2)

233

28.8 (±24.3)

69 (±35.1)

2.3 (±2.8)

 Moderate (3–7)

312

23.9 (±22.8)

61.6 (±37.4)

2 (2 ± .6)

 Severe (8–10)

128

22 (±20.5)

50.6 (±39)

1.8 (±2.2)

 p-value

0.012

<0.001

0.148

Dysphagia

 Yes

217

18.5 (±22.7)

49.9 (±40.8)

1.4 (±3.2)

 No

464

28.1 (±22.6)

67.4 (±34.7)

2.3 (±2.4)

 p-value

<0.001

<0.001

<0.001

Undernutrition

 Yes

624

24.7 (±23.4)

61 (±37.8)

1.9 (±2.7)

 No

59

28.6 (±18.8)

71.5 (±33.6)

2.8 (±2.3)

 p-value

0.322

0.041

0.031