Knowledge of heart attack and stroke symptomology: a cross-sectional comparison of rural and non-rural US adults

Abstract

BackgroundUnderstanding the signs and symptoms of heart attacks and strokes are important not only in saving lives, but also in preserving quality of life. Findings from recent research have yielded that the prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors are higher in rural populations, suggesting that adults living in rural locales may be at higher risk for heart attack and/or stroke. Knowledge of heart attack and stroke symptomology as well as calling 911 for a suspected heart attack or stroke are essential first steps in seeking care. This study sought to examine the knowledge of heart attack and stroke symptoms among rural adults in comparison to non-rural adults living in the U.S.MethodsUsing multivariate techniques, a cross-sectional analysis of an amalgamated multi-year Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS) database was performed. The dependent variable for this analysis was low heart attack and stroke knowledge score. The covariates for the analysis were: age, sex, race/ethnicity, annual household income, attained education, health insurance status, having a health care provider (HCP), timing of last routine medical check-up, medical care deferment because of cost, self-defined health status and geographic locale.ResultsThe weighted n for this study overall was 103,262,115 U.S. adults > =18 years of age. Approximately 22.0% of these respondents were U.S. adults living in rural locales. Logistic regression analysis revealed that those U.S. adults who had low composite heart attack and stroke knowledge scores were more likely to be rural (OR = 1.218 95%CI 1.216-1.219) rather than non-rural residents. Furthermore, those with low scores were more likely to be: male (OR = 1.353 95%CI 1.352-1.354), >65 years of age (OR = 1.369 95%CI 1.368-1.371), African American (OR = 1.892 95%CI 1.889-1.894), not educated beyond high school (OR = 1.400 955CI 1.399-1.402), uninsured (OR = 1.308 95%CI 1.3-6-1.310), without a HCP (OR = 1.216 95%CI 1.215-1.218), and living in a household with an annual income of < $50,000 (OR = 1.429 95%CI 1.428-1.431).ConclusionsAnalysis identified clear disparities between the knowledge levels U.S. adults have regarding heart attack and stroke symptoms. These disparities should guide educational endeavors focusing on improving knowledge of heart attack and stroke symptoms.

Factors Associated With the General Public Knowledge and Awareness of Cardiovascular Diseases and its Risk Factors in Penang – Malaysia

“…Our findings showed no association between personal income and the knowledge and awareness. In a study in the US, subjects living in rural areas are more likely to have lower knowledge on heart attack and stroke if they are not graduate from high school and are economically poor [26]. In Jordan, Mukattash et al (2012) showed significant association between the socioeconomics and the knowledge on CVDs.…”

Physical Activity and Health-Related Quality of Life in Rural Adults with Chronic Disease

“…This study used participant responses primarily from the demographics, HRQOL, chronic health, and physical activity cores. A total of N=65,492 adults 20+ years of age, who answered all relevant survey questions, and resided in a rural U.S. county were included [12].…”

State level correlations between high heart attack and stroke symptomology knowledge scores and CVD risk factors and mortality rates

“…Knowledge of heart attack and stroke symptomology has been the focus of much research based on the assumption that accurate identification of an event is critical to reducing time to treatment [7]. It is well established that early treatment for both heart attack and stroke is critical in lowering the risk for poor outcomes [8] and preserving quality of life [9,10].…”

“…A number of studies have been conducted in order to ascertain specific populations of US adults with knowledge deficits in the areas of first responder action as well as heart attack and stroke symptomology [7,[11][12][13][14][15]. It is believed that by identifying these populations of adults, better public health campaigns can be aimed at enhancing knowledge [11][12][13][14][15].…”