Background: There is a pressing need to contribute evidence to the improvement in the early identification of signs and symptoms associated with strokes, and address the treatment-seeking delays. The objective of this study is to describe the knowledge regarding the warning signs and risk factors (RFs) among stroke patients, as well as of their attitudes toward a suspected event, and the analysis of its possible relationship with the socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of these patients.
Method: A cross-sectional study was designed, in which all stroke patients admitted consecutively to the Burgos University Hospital (Spain) were included. The principal outcomes were the patient's ability to identify two RFs and two warning signs and the patient's hypothetical response to a possible stroke event. The possible factors associated with the knowledge of warning signs, RFs, and the correct response to a new event were studied using univariate and multivariate regression analysis.
Results: A total of 529 patients were included. Having a higher education level or a history of prior stroke were associated with a greater degree of knowledge of warning signs (odds ratio (OR) 3.19, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.70-5.74, p = 0.003; OR 3.54, 95%CI 2.09-5.99, p ≤ 0.001, respectively), RFs (OR 3.15, 95%CI 1.75-5.67, p = 0.008; OR 4.08, 95%CI 2.41-6.91, p = 0.002, respectively), and the correct response to a possible stroke (OR 1.82, 95%CI 1.16-2.86; p = 0.030; OR 2.11, 95%CI 1.29-3.46, p = 0.022, respectively).
Conclusion: Knowledge of warning signs or stroke RFs is low in the hospitalized patients. A previous stroke or secondary/higher education levels are the predictor factors that increase the probability of knowledge of warning signs, RFs, or reaction to possible event.
Keywords: health education; knowledge; risk factor; signs; stroke.