Stroke education program of act FAST for junior high school students and their parents

We produced a stroke education program using the FAST (facial droop, arm weakness, speech disturbance, time to call an ambulance) mnemonic.

The aim of this study is to examine efficacy of our education program for junior high school students and their parents.

One hundred ninety students of 3 junior high schools (aged 12-13 years) and their parents were enrolled. Students received a 45-minute lesson of stroke enlightenment using the FAST mnemonic. Enlightenment items, such as a magnet poster, were distributed. Parents were educated indirectly from their child. Surveys of stroke knowledge were examined at baseline, immediately after the lesson, and at 3 months after the lesson.

For the students, correct answers at 3 months were significantly higher than those at baseline in questions of facial palsy (98% versus 33%), speech disturbance (98% versus 54%), numbness on one side (64% versus 42%), weakness on one side (80% versus 51%), calling an ambulance (88% versus 60%), alcohol drinking (85% versus 65%), smoking (70% versus 43%), dyslipidemia (58% versus 46%), hyperglycemia (59% versus 48%), and obesity (47% versus 23%). At 3 months, the parents answered more correctly questions of facial palsy (93% versus 66%), calling an ambulance (95% versus 88%), and alcohol drinking (65% versus 51%) than at baseline. At 3 months, 96% of students and 78% of parents answered the FAST mnemonic correctly.

Our stroke education program improved stroke knowledge, especially the FAST message, for junior high school students and their parents.