Factors associated with knowledge and awareness of stroke in the Iraqi population: a cross-sectional study

Hala Al-Obaidi; Zainab Khidhair; Feras Jirjees; Muna Barakat; Husam AlSalamat; Zelal Kharaba; Yassen Alfoteih; Chadia Haddad; Sara Mansour; Souheil Hallit; Diana Malaeb; Hassan Hosseini

doi:10.3389/fneur.2023.1144481

Factors associated with knowledge and awareness of stroke in the Iraqi population: a cross-sectional study

Front Neurol. 2023 Apr 18:14:1144481. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1144481. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Hala Al-Obaidi^#¹, Zainab Khidhair^#², Feras Jirjees³, Muna Barakat^{4

5}, Husam AlSalamat^{6

7}, Zelal Kharaba^{8

9}, Yassen Alfoteih¹⁰, Chadia Haddad^{11

12}, Sara Mansour¹³, Souheil Hallit^{12

14}, Diana Malaeb^{13

15}, Hassan Hosseini^{16

17}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates.
² Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq.
³ Department of Pharmacy Practice and Pharmacotherapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
⁴ Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Applied Science Private University, Amman, Jordan.
⁵ MEU Research Unit, Middle East University, Amman, Jordan.
⁶ Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Balqa Applied University, Al-Salt, Jordan.
⁷ Department of Biopharmaceutics and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan.
⁸ Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Al-Ain University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
⁹ Honorary Associate Lecturer, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.
¹⁰ Department of Dental Surgery, City University College of Ajman, Ajman, United Arab Emirates.
¹¹ INSPECT-LB (Institut National de Santé Publique, d'Épidémiologie Clinique et de Toxicologie-Liban), Beirut, Lebanon.
¹² Research Department, Psychiatric Hospital of the Cross, Jal Ed Dib, Lebanon.
¹³ School of Pharmacy, Lebanese International University, Beirut, Lebanon.
¹⁴ School of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, Jounieh, Lebanon.
¹⁵ College of Pharmacy, Gulf Medical University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates.
¹⁶ Neurology Department, Henri Mondor Hospital, AP-HP, Créteil, France.
¹⁷ INSERM U955-E01, IMRB, UPEC-Universite Paris-Est, Créteil, France.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Introduction: Stroke is a highly prevalent condition with high rates of death and disability in Iraq and around the world. Knowledge of stroke and its associated risk factors is essential for disease prevention and rapid response when confronted with a stroke patient.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to assess stroke knowledge and identify factors associated with awareness among the Iraqi public.

Material and methods: A questionnaire-based, cross-sectional survey was conducted on the Iraqi population. The self-administered online questionnaire contained three sections. The study got ethical approval from the Research Ethics Committee at the University of Baghdad.

Results: The results showed that 26.8% of the participants reported knowledge regarding identifying all risk factors. In addition, 18.4% and 34.8% of the participants recognized all symptoms and mentioned all possible consequences of stroke, respectively. Previous medical history with chronic diseases had essential relationships with the response when faced with a person having an acute stroke. In addition, there was a significant relationship between gender, smoking history, and identification of early stroke symptoms.

Conclusion: There was a lack of knowledge about risk factors for stroke among the participants. There is a need for an awareness program among the Iraqi people to raise their understanding of stroke that can reduce stroke mortality and morbidity.

Keywords: Iraq; Iraq stroke; awareness of stroke; factors associated; knowledge of stroke; stroke; symptoms of stroke.