Objective: To clarify the effect of comprehensive rehabilitation treatment on the improvement of the activities of daily living (ADL) of stroke patients during a single hospitalization period, and to explore the influencing factors of the improvement of ADL at the time of discharge.

Methods: This study was a retrospective study. A total of 320 stroke patients with hemiplegia admitted to the Rehabilitation Medicine Center of The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, from January 2022 to December 2024 were selected as the research objects. Descriptive statistical analysis was used to analyze the improvement of ADL of stroke patients at the time of discharge. The patients were grouped according to the minimal clinically important difference (MCID), which was defined as an increase of more than 10 points in the Barthel index (BI). Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to screen the influencing factors of ADL improvement.

Results: The comprehensive rehabilitation treatment during a single hospitalization period increased the average BI score of the patients by 12.86 points. Univariate analysis showed that the course of disease, BI score at admission, standing balance, walking ability, cognitive impairment, and emotional disorder were significantly correlated with ADL improvement (P<0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis indicated that the course of disease (OR＝ 0.996, P＝0.041), concurrent hypertension (OR＝0.558, P＝0.050), and walking function (OR＝0.716, P＝0.000) were independent predictive factors for ADL improvement.

Conclusion: Comprehensive rehabilitation therapy during a single hospitalization cycle resulted in clinically significant improvement in ADL in 45.9% of stroke patients. The course of disease, concurrent hypertension, and walking function at admission might be the main factors affecting the improvement of ADL. Early intervention of rehabilitation, prevention and management of underlying diseases, and the formulation of appropriate rehabilitation goals would help improve the patients' ability of ADL and further enhance their quality of life.