ISSN 2149-2263 | E-ISSN 2149-2271
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A population- based study on awareness of heart attack in Aydın city-Turkey [Anatol J Cardiol]
Anatol J Cardiol. 2009; 9(4): 304-310

A population- based study on awareness of heart attack in Aydın city-Turkey

Sakine Memiş1, Emine Didem Evci2, Filiz Ergin2, Erdal Beşer2
1Department of Medical Nursing, School of Health, Adnan Menderes University, Aydın, Turkey
2Department of Public Health, Medical Faculty, Adnan Menderes University, Aydın, Turkey

Objective: The study was conducted to determine the level of knowledge and awareness of risk factors and warning signs of heart attack in a selected sample of the Turkish population. Methods: Population-based cross-sectional study was carried out with people over age 40 years in Aydın. The study group was determined by multi-stage sampling method (simple random and cluster sampling methods). Questionnaire was administered during face-to-face interviews in the participants’ homes. Chi-square and t-test were used for analytical evaluation. Risk assessments were performed utilizing logistic regression analysis. Results: The percentage of participants who did not know what a heart attack is and its warning signs were 42.3% and 23.2%, respectively. Overall, 11.8% were unaware of risk factors. Loss of consciousness/fainting, chest pain, radiation of pain were reported as three major warning signs. Among risk factors, stress was ranked as the most common, followed by smoking. It was determined that age, place of residence, education, occupation, self-reported risk factors had effect on the knowledge for major warning signs (p<0.05). In multivariate analysis, the factors having a negative effect on knowledge of major warning signs were having primary school/lower level of education (OR=2.447, 95%CI 1.773-3.378; p<0.0001), being older (OR=1.020, 95%CI 1.007-1.032, p=0.002), living in urban area (OR=1.493, 95%CI 1.133-1.968, p=0.004), being unemployed (OR=1.436, 95%CI 1.010-2.041, p=0.044) and absence of self-reported risk factors (OR=1.965, 95%CI 1.201-3.216, p=0.007). The percentage of participants stated that the first action to take for a person having heart attack was to put them on their back, open their collar, elevate their feet was 24.1%. They had learned information about the symptoms and the risk factors from television (28.6%) and neighbors/relatives (28.3%). Conclusion: This study revealed the need for increasing awareness utilizing community based education programs and the mass media.

Keywords: Heart attack, warning signs, risk factors, awareness, knowledge

Sakine Memiş, Emine Didem Evci, Filiz Ergin, Erdal Beşer. A population- based study on awareness of heart attack in Aydın city-Turkey. Anatol J Cardiol. 2009; 9(4): 304-310
Manuscript Language: English


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