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Knowledge and Awareness of Stroke among the Elderly Population: Analysis of Data from a Sample of Older Adults in a Developing Country

2023; Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute; Volume: 59; Issue: 12 Linguagem: Inglês

10.3390/medicina59122172

1648-9144

Fouad Sakr, Jihan Safwan, Michelle Cherfane, Pascale Salameh, Hala Sacre, Chadia Haddad, Sarah El Khatib, Mohamad Rahal, Mohammad Dia, Ahmad Harb, Hassan Hosseini, Katia Iskandar,

Acute Ischemic Stroke Management

Background and Objectives: Stroke prevention has traditionally concentrated on research to improve knowledge and awareness of the disease in the general population. Since stroke incidents increase with age, there is a need to focus on the elderly, a high-risk group for developing the disease. This study aimed to examine the level of stroke awareness and knowledge, their predictors, and their source of information. Materials and Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study targeted Lebanese senior citizens aged 65 years and above. A total of 513 participants enrolled in the study through a self-administered survey distributed using a snowball sampling technique. Results: Most participants had appropriate baseline knowledge (more than 75% correct answers) of stroke, including risk factors, alarming signs, and preventive measures. Better knowledge of disease risks was significantly associated with having a university degree (ORa = 1.609; p = 0.029). Participants who had previous ischemic attacks showed significantly lower knowledge of the alarming signs (ORa = 0.467; p = 0.036) and prevention measures (ORa = 0.427; p = 0.029). Those suffering from depression had better knowledge of stroke alarming signs (ORa = 2.060.; p = 0.050). Seeking information from pharmacists, physicians, or the internet was not significantly associated with better knowledge of stroke risks, alarming signs, and preventive measures. Conclusions: The present study showed that seniors had fair knowledge of stroke, despite gaps in stroke prevention measures. Healthcare providers could play a leading role in improving public health by educating seniors to enhance awareness about prevention measures, detecting alarming signs, and acting fast to save a life.