Factors Associated with Knowledge of Stroke Warning Signs among Patients with Diabetes and Hypertension at A Subdistrict Health Promoting Hospital

Abstract

        This study aimed to assess the level of knowledge regarding stroke warning signs and to examine the associations between personal factors, including age, gender, education level, comorbidities, receipt of information, and knowing someone with stroke, and knowledge of stroke warning signs among patients with hypertension and/or diabetes attending Bang Cha Long Health Promoting Hospital, Samut Prakan Province. A total of 168 participants completed the study. The research instruments included a personal information questionnaire and a stroke warning signs knowledge test based on the B.E.F.A.S.T. guidelines, which demonstrated content validity index (CVI) was 1.00 and original reliability (KR-20) was .728. Descriptive statistics, Fisher’s Exact test, and logistic regression were used for data analysis.

        The findings indicated that participants had moderate to good knowledge of stroke warning signs, particularly for highly observable symptoms such as arm or leg weakness and facial drooping. However, “unknown” responses were reported for other warning signs, especially dizziness and visual disturbances. Among the personal factors examined, receipt of information regarding stroke warning signs was significantly associated with higher knowledge levels both before and after adjustment for confounding variables. Participants who had previously received stroke-related information were more likely to have higher knowledge levels than those who had not (COR = 3.58, 95% CI = 1.89–6.77, p < .05; AOR = 3.03, 95%CI = 1.55 - 5.91, p < .05). In contrast, gender, comorbidities, and knowing someone with stroke were not significantly associated with knowledge levels (p > 0.05). Age (≥60 years) and education level (secondary or higher) showed unclear associations with knowledge of stroke warning signs.

        Therefore, efforts should be made to promote the dissemination of information regarding stroke warning signs, particularly for symptoms that are less recognized by the public. Developed a continuous educational program for hypertensive and diabetic patients to enhance their knowledge of stroke warning signs. In addition, healthcare professionals’ competencies in providing appropriate patient education should be developed to enhance the effectiveness of stroke prevention.