102: Knowledge About Risk Factors for Stroke: A Population-Based Survey with 28,090 Participants

Perception of stroke in Croatia – knowledge of stroke signs and risk factors amongst neurological outpatients

“…A study from the region of Slavonski Brod in Croatia has revealed that 42% of respondents identified more than four correct stroke signs and 41% identified more than seven correct stroke risk factors [21]. Worldwide studies show that at least one stroke sign correctly identified 32-77% of respondents and 42-80% can identify at least one risk factor for stroke [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]. However, two or more stroke signs or risk factors can identify far less respondents (11,15,22).…”

“…Several studies in the world have assessed awareness of stroke risk factors and stroke signs [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]. The aim of this hospital-based survey was to assess the knowledge regarding stroke risk factors, stroke symptoms and possible actions if threatened with stroke in the population of the capital city Zagreb in Croatia.…”

A population‐based study on awareness of stroke in Turkey

“…Stress is not considered as a classical stroke risk factors by American Stroke Association, but is seen in high percentages among non-established risk factors in the references (18-45%) [4,11,13,[16][17][18][19][20]. Stress was ranked as the first risk factor (34.9%) by participants in this study, while hypertension was the second most commonly cited risk factor (34.1%); however, hypertension ranked as the first risk factor in other studies [11,13,16,17]. As an important stroke risk factor, diabetes mellitus was cited by only 9.8% of the study population, a finding consistent with other published studies [11,17] (but some other studies reported figures as low as 2.0% [4,13,16]).…”

An educational multimedia campaign improves stroke knowledge and risk perception in different stroke risk groups

“…Only 2% of respondents stated that they had recently received information on stroke risk factors and individual stroke risk by their family doctor. This is alarming, because in earlier investigations especially old and male patients cited the general practitioner as an important information source [11]. Family doctors should be in the centre of interest when designing future campaigns on stroke risk perception as they are involved in immediate preventive action.…”

“…For economic reasons a tailoring of educational campaigns to risk-groups like the elderly [18,26] or those with little knowledge [11] seems sensible. On the other hand, not only people at risk of stroke are in need of proper knowledge and risk perception.…”