Knowledge of Signs and Symptoms of Heart Attack and Stroke among Singapore Residents

Abstract

Aim. To determine the level of knowledge of signs and symptoms of heart attack and stroke in Singapore resident population, in comparison to the global community. Methods. A population based, random sample of 7,840 household addresses was selected from a validated national sampling frame. Each participant was asked eight questions on signs and symptoms of heart attack and 10 questions on stroke. Results. The response rate was 65.2% with 4,192 respondents. The level of knowledge for preselected, common signs and symptoms of heart attack and stroke was 57.8% and 57.1%, respectively. The respondents scored a mean of 5.0 (SD 2.4) out of 8 for heart attack, while they scored a mean of 6.8 (SD 2.9) out of 10 for stroke. Respondents who were ≥50 years, with lower educational level, and unemployed/retired had the least knowledge about both conditions. The level of knowledge of signs and symptoms of heart attack and stroke in Singapore is comparable to USA and Canada. Conclusion. We found a comparable knowledge of stroke and heart attack signs and symptoms in the community to countries within the same economic, educational, and healthcare strata. However older persons, those with lower educational level and those who are unemployed/retired, require more public health education efforts.

Awareness towards signs and symptoms of stroke and assessment of factors associated with knowledge of five symptoms of stroke among general public Malaysia: A regression analysis.

“…In addition, the most common symptom recognised by the respondents was numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, followed by the immediate change in gait, sudden confusion, and difficulty in speaking. The results are in accordance with the studies in Nigeria, Singapore and China [27,[30][31][32].…”

“…Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg was the most commonly recognized stroke symptom in this study. This is in agreement with studies in Spain, the US, and Singapore where the most frequent stroke symptom recognised was numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg [27][28][29]. On the contrary, an Australian study reported paralysis or partial weakness as the lowest recognised symptom of stroke [25].…”

“…This is in agreement with studies performed in Australia and the US ( [17,25] wherein the majority recognized at least one symptom. Likewise, a study from Singapore demonstrated that most of the respondents identified one symptom of stroke [26,27].…”

“…Table 1 shows that the highest number of respondents (n=122, 31%) was from the lowest age group (18-25 years old). This was followed by the age group (56-64) and (26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35) years old, represented by 20.1% and 19.8%, respectively. In addition, 53.7% of the respondents were married, followed by 44.3% single respondents.…”

Where’s my what? A survey of anatomical knowledge in a community in Western Melbourne

“…Few studies have assessed lay knowledge of the pain patterns for common clinical scenarios other than myocardial infarction. 12,13 It was notable that most participants (79.6 per cent) could accurately identify the typical location of pain associated with myocardial infarction, despite a significant number of participants incorrectly locating the heart (48.8 per cent). It is possible that this is a reflection of public health awareness campaigns on the symptoms of a heart attack.…”