The Stroke Alert Project: A Longitudinal Evaluation of a School-Based Stroke Knowledge Intervention

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Pediatric Education
• Neurology

Background:

• Stroke is a major cause of death and disability in Portugal.
• Early symptom recognition is vital for effective stroke treatment.
• School-based programs can enhance stroke awareness among children and families.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of a school-based educational intervention on stroke knowledge in fifth-grade students.
• To evaluate the retention of stroke knowledge at one month and one year post-intervention.

Main Methods:

• A quasi-experimental, longitudinal pre-post study involving 149 fifth-grade students.
• A 45-minute interactive session covering stroke basics, warning signs, actions, and prevention.
• Knowledge assessment via a 10-item multiple-choice questionnaire at four time points.

Main Results:

• Mean stroke knowledge scores significantly increased from baseline (6.1) to immediately post-intervention (8.7), one month (8.1), and one year (7.6).
• All post-intervention scores showed significant improvement compared to baseline (p < 0.001).
• Knowledge retention remained significant one year after the intervention.

Conclusions:

• A brief, school-based educational intervention effectively improves stroke knowledge in elementary students.
• Sustained knowledge retention, particularly in recognizing symptoms and prevention, was observed over one year.
• Integrating stroke education into school health programs is a valuable strategy for public health awareness.