Many remain in the dark over strokes
A study has revealed that many people at high risk of cardiovascular disease were almost oblivious to the risks.
|||Durban - A study has revealed that many people at high risk of cardiovascular disease had little understanding of the condition and were almost oblivious to the risks.
Lack of education and poverty were identified as two possible factors contributing to the findings of the study, carried out by UCT’s Centre for Chronic Disease Initiatives in Africa in collaboration with Harvard University, surveying residents in Nyanga.
The study investigated the level of knowledge and perceptions about the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in the community. It found that while respondents were familiar with the terminology used to describe different CVDs, they had limited insight into these health conditions, including the risks involved.
“Cardiovascular diseases” is a term that describes diseases of the heart or blood vessels, such as strokes.
Many of the respondents surveyed – including those with a history of cardiovascular and other lifestyle diseases such as hypertension – showed little understanding of the risks of contracting CVDs.
Many were unable to provide an explanation of what they understood by the concept of risk while others were not able to provide a clear definition of hypertension or stroke.
While hypertension is regarded as a major contributing factor to strokes, respondents – even those diagnosed with the disease – made no link between hypertension and CVDs.
Others thought that there was a progression from hypertension to asthma to having a stroke. Some believed strokes were brought on by “thinking too much” or going into “shock” after hearing tragic news.
Some of those interviewed were sceptical of being diagnosed as being at risk of stroke if they were otherwise healthy and suffered no other illnesses.
While many were familiar with hypertension as a disease, respondents seemed to lack insight into what the condition was, or its treatment.
Others associated hypertension with stress and expressed frustration at not understanding what caused it. Some respondents linked CVDs to “talking too much” or “emotional distress”.
Even though many understood that improving diet, quitting smoking and reducing alcohol consumption prevented CVDs, they made no link to other contributing factors, including hereditary factors, high cholesterol, sedentary lifestyles or obesity.
Despite knowing that unhealthy diets were to blame for their health problems, many blamed poverty for their poor diet as a healthy diet was costly.
They said they felt helpless about changing their diet.
“Our living situation forces us to eat whatever is available. Sometimes you know you don’t want to eat this, but you are forced to eat it. We don’t have vegetables and we don’t have land to do small gardens,” a respondent was quoted as saying.
Writing in the African Journal of Primary Healthcare and Family Medicine, Dr Sam Surka, a lead researcher in the study, said low health literacy seemed to impede respondent’s understanding and ability to interpret numbers and risk estimates.
“The study contributes to our understanding of the knowledge of and perceptions about CVD and its risk factors in a low-income peri-urban community in South Africa. Respondents were more knowledgeable about CVD in general than about the concept of risk.
“Educational initiatives focused on improving knowledge of risk and the causal relationship between predisposing factors and CVD are needed,” he wrote.
Daily News
* Use our Facebook and Twitter pages to comment on our stories. See links below.