Perceived Emotional Support and Frequent Social Contacts Are Associated with Greater Knowledge of Stroke Warning Signs: Evidence from Two Cross-sectional US Population Surveys

Abstract

Public knowledge of acute stroke symptoms is a goal of public health policy. Similarly, general health knowledge is a hypothesized pathway for the salutary effects of social ties. This study examined the association of stroke warning sign knowledge with the quantity (number of recent social contacts) and/or quality (perceived emotional support) of social ties in two population-based cross-sectional surveys (Ns = 33,326 and 80,454). Both higher levels of emotional support and more frequent social contacts were independently associated with greater stroke warning sign knowledge. Social isolation is a novel marker of poor knowledge of stroke warning signs.