Abstract
BackgroundPublic health is increasingly concerned with recognising factors that lead to sex differences in stroke. We conducted a study to determine the effect of sex on knowledge of stroke risk factors and warning signs, and how both are perceived, in a representative sample of adults.MethodsA representative sample of the population of Extremadura, Spain was selected using a double randomisation technique. Previously trained medical students carried out face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire.Results2409 subjects were interviewed [59.9 % women; mean age (SD) 49.0 (18.7) years]. Seventy-three percent of all subjects reported at least one correct warning sign of stroke (OR: 1.01; 95 % CI: 0.84–1.21). The most frequently mentioned warning signs were sudden weakness, dizziness, and headache. There were no sex differences regarding the types of warning symptoms that respondents listed. Women displayed better knowledge of risk factors than men (OR: 1.23; 95 % CI: 1.05–1.46). Women were more likely to name hypertension as a risk factor for stroke whereas men more frequently listed smoking, alcohol consumption and a sedentary lifestyle as risk factors. In response to stroke, women were significantly less likely than men to choose to call an ambulance or to go immediately to hospital (OR: 0.69; 95 % CI: 0.60–0.85).ConclusionsStroke knowledge is suboptimal in both men and women. We detected better knowledge of stroke risk factors in women, as well as differences in the type of risk factors listed by men and women. There were significant sex differences regarding response to stroke or to its warning signs.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13104-015-1582-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
Public health is increasingly concerned with recognising factors that lead to sex differences in stroke
There were no significant differences with regard to age or area of residence (Table 1)
1 out of every 8 individuals wrongly identified chest pain and shortness of breath as stroke warning signs (SWS); this reflects the confusion between ischaemic heart disease and stroke in part of the general population [15, Table 3 Sex differences in stroke knowledge broken down by self-reported risk factors and experience with stroke
Summary
Public health is increasingly concerned with recognising factors that lead to sex differences in stroke. Some studies have shown that women delay going to hospital significantly compared to men, and that they are attended later than men after reaching the hospital [2, 3]. Plausible explanations for these delays are unclear, they may be due in part to sex-related differences in clinical presentation [4] and Numerous studies carried out in the past few years have evaluated knowledge of stroke in the general population, but far fewer of them have analysed sex differences, especially in Europe [5,6,7,8,9,10,11]. Limited knowledge can contribute to delays in seeking medical attention after stroke onset, which may have repercussions on the final outcome [13]
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