Cognitive level of disease risk factors and clinical identification in high risk population of arteriosclerosis obliterans of lower limbs

Abstract

Objective To assess the cognitive level of disease risk factors and clinical identification in high risk population of arteriosclerosis obliterans (ASO) of lower limbs. Methods By purpose sampling survey, a total of 330 patients in high risk of ASO from a ClassⅢ grade A hospital in Chongqing were investigated using a self-designed semi-structured questionnaire from May to June 2015 to assess the cognitive level of disease risk factors and clinical identification in high risk population of ASO. A database was set up in EpiData, and analyzed by SPSS 16.0 statistic software, including descriptive analysis, non-parametric test, Spearman correlation analysis. Results Among all respondents, 70.1% of them have never heard of lower limbs ASO. More than 80.0% of respondents did not know the risk factors, while more than 92.0% of them did not know its clinical manifestations, only 15.5% of them had received medical examination for diagnosing ASO. There were statistically significant differences in cognitive scores among respondents with different education background, residence and income (P<0.01) . Conclusions The cognitive level of disease risk factors and clinical identification in high risk population of ASO of lower limbs is obviously insufficient, especially those who are with lower education, lower income, and who live in small towns or villages. It is suggested that professional medical staff should strengthen the health education for people with ASO high-risk factors. Key words: Arteriosclerosis obliterans; Risk factors; Population surveillance; Health education