Knowledge about cardiovascular disease in Portugal

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Cardiology
• Health Literacy

Background:

• Cardiovascular diseases, including stroke and myocardial infarction (MI), pose significant public health challenges.
• Understanding public knowledge and health literacy is essential for effective prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess cardiovascular disease knowledge in the Portuguese population.
• To explore the relationship between sociodemographic factors, health literacy, clinical history, and cardiovascular health knowledge.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 1624 Portuguese residents aged 16-79 years.
• Data collected via face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire in 2012.

Main Results:

• Approximately 30% of participants could not estimate the lifetime risk of MI or stroke.
• Key preventive behaviors identified were "not smoking" and "healthy diet"; emergency number use was suboptimal.
• Adequate health literacy correlated with more appropriate cardiovascular health knowledge.

Conclusions:

• Significant gaps exist in Portuguese cardiovascular health knowledge.
• Health education initiatives must consider varying health literacy levels.
• Targeted strategies are needed to enhance public understanding of cardiovascular disease prevention and management.