Public stroke awareness among Gharbia governorate inhabitants: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Stroke is the most common acquired neurological disease in the adult population worldwide with an incidence of 16 million new cases every year responsible for about 6.1 million deaths and 130.6 million disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs). The objectives of this work were to study the level of stroke awareness and the proper response for suspected stroke patients in urban and rural areas of Tanta City, Egypt. The study was conducted on 1869 Egyptian Citizens; 908 and 961 reside in urban and rural areas, respectively, who were submitted to a face-to-face interview using the stroke awareness questionnaire (Arabic version). Results: Rural participants showed a significant reduction in acute cerebrovascular stroke (CVS) awareness and knowledge including the most affected organ by CVS, what are the risk factors, what are the early stroke symptoms, is there specific treatment for acute ischemic stroke, and what is the proper reaction when confronted with a case of acute CVS? Conclusion: Urban populations have better recognition of stroke risk factors, early stroke symptoms, and the proper response when confronted with a case of acute CVS when compared with rural people possibly due to better socioeconomic status and higher educational levels.