Background
Control of stroke risk factors, in particular, hypertension and unhealthy life styles such as high fat diet, and inactivity which are modifiable have been focused for primary prevention of stroke. Greater awareness for stroke may promote individual to involve preventive activities. In Korea, relatively little research has been done on the awareness and risk for stroke among community living adults. We investigated awareness for stroke, calculated stroke risk score using the Framingham stroke risk score profile, and examined the relationship among awareness for stroke, blood pressure(BP), body weight, blood sugar, cholesterol and stroke risk score among middle-aged adults in Korea.
Methods
A total of 99 participants (
3
9 men, 60 women) aged 47.0 years old were recruited in an urban area and were interviewed by researchers using a structured questionnaire including stroke risk factors. Awareness for stroke was assessed with baseline knowledge on stroke risk factors, symptoms, and treatment; and recognition on important indicators such as BP, body weight, blood sugar and cholesterol. Stroke risk was determined by applying the Framingham stroke risk profile. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test, and Pearson’s correlation using PASW statistics 18.0.
Results
Participants answered more than 3 stroke warning signs out of 5, although most participants did not know if their BP, body weight, blood sugar, and cholesterol were within normal limits. Scores of stroke risk determined by Framingham stroke risk profile showed significant difference between men and women (3.85±2.35 vs. 2.52±.06) (t=2.968, p=.004). Only systolic blood pressure was related with stroke risk in men(r=.537, p=.002), while blood sugar(r=.497, p=.005), systolic(r=.705, p <.001) and diastolic blood pressure(r=.557, p<.001) were related with stroke risk in women. The negative correlation between awareness for stroke and stroke risk was found in women(r=-.303, p=.021).
Conclusions
There is need to improve the awareness of stroke among community living middle-aged adults by providing more targeted information on stroke risk factors and their contribution to stroke prevention.Further studies are warranted to refine predictive factors for the risk of stroke, regarding gender difference in relationship between stroke risk score and BP, body weight, blood sugar and cholesterol which are important indicators for major illness related to stroke.
