Background The onset of frailty is not only linked to physiological mechanisms but is also influenced by psychological factors. Patients experiencing a first‐ever ischemic stroke may face heightened psychological adjustment challenges, thereby increasing their risk of frailty. The influence of perceived stress as a psychological variable measuring individual stress responses remains unclear in this population. Objective To investigate the prevalence of frailty among patients with first‐ever ischemic stroke, analyse the factors influencing frailty and explore the impact of perceived stress on frailty in these patients. Methods A cross‐sectional study employing convenience sampling was conducted, selecting patients with ischemic stroke admitted to the Department of Neurology at the Second People’s Hospital of Yibin between December 2024 and July 2025 as the study subjects. Collect patient‐related data, including the general information questionnaire, FRAIL scale, the Perceived Stress Scale, the Patient Health Questionnaire‐9 and the Generalised Anxiety Disorder‐7. Patients were categorised into frail and nonfrail groups based on the occurrence of frailty. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent risk factors for frailty in patients with first‐ever ischemic stroke. Results The prevalence of frailty among patients with first‐ever ischemic stroke in this study was 36.1%. Logistic regression analysis revealed that age (OR = 1.039, p = 0.012), mRS score (OR = 1.632, p = 0.004) and perceived stress (OR = 1.072, p = 0.012) constituted risk factors for frailty in patients with first‐ever ischemic stroke. No family history of stroke (OR = 0.374, p = 0.004) and per capita monthly household income of 3001–5000 CNY (OR = 0.332, p = 0.015) were protective factors against frailty in patients with a first‐ever ischemic stroke. Neither the GAD‐7 nor the PHQ‐9 scores were statistically significant in the regression model ( p > 0.05). Conclusions The incidence of frailty is relatively high among patients experiencing a first‐ever ischemic stroke. Healthcare professionals should pay particular attention to elderly patients, those with low income, a family history of stroke or poor neurological function. Perceived stress may be incorporated into routine assessment systems to identify individuals experiencing high psychological stress at an early stage. Targeted psychological counselling and stress management interventions can then be implemented to reduce the risk of frailty onset and improve overall rehabilitation outcomes for patients.
Wen et al. (Thu,) studied this question.