The public view on cardiovascular risk factors and changes in lifestyle

To investigate the public knowledge of cardiovascular risk factors including hyperlipidaemia, and attitudes to changes in lifestyle and to the role of the primary health care in preventive work.

Postal questionnaire.

A physically defined area in south-western Stockholm.

1000 randomly selected individuals of both sexes 40 to 64 years, stratified into 5-year groups.

Knowledge of and attitudes to cardiovascular risk factors. Contact with the primary health care and expectancy of physicians' interest in patients' lifestyles.

Response rate was 75%. The awareness of cardiovascular risk factors was high, but only 51% knew what constitutes healthy food, and two thirds doubted that they could change their eating habits. Forty-eight percent had visited the primary health care during the previous year. Eighty-four percent thought that the physicians should know about their patients' smoking, 83% about drinking habits, and 75% about eating habits. Physicians were expected to spend 40% of their time on preventive work. Only 26% believed that press information about hyperlipidaemia and heart disease did more good than harm.

Knowledge was good about causative cardiovascular risk factors, but poor about healthy eating. Physicians were expected to have an interest in patients' lifestyle and in prevention. This type of knowledge is important for preventive work.