Stroke Knowledge and Health Anxiety among Stroke Patients in A Rehabilitation Clinic, Tertiary Hospital

Abstract

Background: Stroke generally results in life-altering changes, and the significance of stroke knowledge and health anxiety has become a global priority. Aim: This study aims to determine the level of stroke knowledge and health anxiety among stroke patients in the rehabilitation clinic at the University Malaya Medical Centre and to determine the association of stroke knowledge and health anxiety with socio-demographic data. Methods: This study employed cross-sectional surveys conducted using a convenience sampling technique. The data was gathered from April to October 2021, and approximately 150 stroke patients were required to respond to a set of validated questionnaires (the Stroke Knowledge Test and the Health Anxiety). The data were analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: The finding shows that on average, the age of respondents was 51 years (SD=13.12), and the majority of them were male (n=83, 55.3%), married (n=130, 86.7%), had a secondary level of education (n=81, 54.0%) and categorized under B40 (n=89, 59.3%). Most of them reported having good stroke knowledge (n=103, 68.7%), and experienced anxiety (mean=29.96, SD=8.72). There was no association between stroke knowledge and sociodemographic data (p > 0.05). For the health anxiety, age, marital status, and education level were found to be associated with the anxiety (p<0.05). Those who aged less than 30 years experienced more anxiety as compared to the seniors' group (r=-0.607, p<0.001). Furthermore, married respondents showed lower levels of anxiety than single respondents [t(148) = 0.266, p = 0.009]. Patients who had a high level of education were more anxious than those who had a primary level of education [F(2,147) = 16.03, p<0.001]. Conclusion: The organizations should provide ongoing awareness and psychological support to promote the patients and their family members. Nurses, who spend the most time with patients, are expected to reinforce the stroke education program and communicate with the patient's family to minimize their anxiety level.