Public knowledge of warning signs and risk factors of cerebro-vascular stroke in Ismailia Governorate, Egypt

Background Knowledge and awareness of cerebro-vascular stroke (CVS) warning symptoms and risk factors is deficient in the general population in the developing countries. Objective To evaluate the knowledge and attitude about warning symptoms and risk factors of cerebro-vascular stroke among a sample of people living in Ismailia Governorate, Egypt. Methods This study was conducted at two selected areas of Ismailia Governorate, an urban area and a rural area. Seven hundred and twenty participants were included in the study (360 form the urban area and 360 from the rural area). Face-to-face questionnaire-based interviews were administered to the participants. The survey tool is a 9-item questionnaire translated in Arabic, designed to evaluate the knowledge and attitude about warning symptoms and risk factors of cerebro-vascular stroke. Results According to the participants, the main source of knowledge about CVS was from seeing someone with stroke, the main risk factor of CVS was hypertension, the most frequent warning symptom of CVS was paralysis of one side, and the most frequent action to be taken with the onset of CVS was direct transfer to the hospital. Conclusion Hypertension was the mostly known risk factor. Only few participants were aware of diabetes mellitus as a risk factor for cerebro-vascular stroke. This information will be useful for planning CVS prevention campaigns.