Abstract
Aim. To determine the level of knowledge of signs and symptoms of heart attack and stroke in Singapore resident population, in comparison to the global community. Methods. A population based, random sample of 7,840 household addresses was selected from a validated national sampling frame. Each participant was asked eight questions on signs and symptoms of heart attack and 10 questions on stroke. Results. The response rate was 65.2% with 4,192 respondents. The level of knowledge for preselected, common signs and symptoms of heart attack and stroke was 57.8% and 57.1%, respectively. The respondents scored a mean of 5.0 (SD 2.4) out of 8 for heart attack, while they scored a mean of 6.8 (SD 2.9) out of 10 for stroke. Respondents who were ≥50 years, with lower educational level, and unemployed/retired had the least knowledge about both conditions. The level of knowledge of signs and symptoms of heart attack and stroke in Singapore is comparable to USA and Canada. Conclusion. We found a comparable knowledge of stroke and heart attack signs and symptoms in the community to countries within the same economic, educational, and healthcare strata. However older persons, those with lower educational level and those who are unemployed/retired, require more public health education efforts.
Highlights
Heart attack and stroke are leading causes of death globally
Of the 7,840 households randomly selected from the validated sampling frame, a total of 4,192 respondents participated in the survey, giving a response rate of 65.2%
Regarding signs and symptoms of stroke, 92.7% of the respondents were able to recognize sudden numbness or weakness usually on one side of the body as a symptom, and 81.2% correctly identified sudden difficulty in walking while 78.8% agreed that difficulty in speaking or understanding speech can be a symptom (Figure 1)
Summary
Heart attack and stroke are leading causes of death globally. The World Health Organisation estimates that 7.3 million deaths globally were due to coronary heart disease and 6.2 million were due to stroke in 2008 [1]. According to United Nations statistics, from 2005 to 2010, Singapore is ranked the 1st globally for lowest infant mortality rate at 1.92 infant deaths per 1 000 live births and ranked 10th for life expectancy at birth with a mean of 80.6 years in 2010 [4]. In terms of literacy rate, Singapore has been ranked by the World Bank to be within the top 30 nations in the world, with a literacy rate of 96% [5]
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