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Disease and risk factor perception among patients with coronary artery disease in Kuala Terengganu
Insights
Patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) are aware of risk factors but struggle to modify behavior. Enhanced patient education and doctor-patient communication are crucial for improving health outcomes in cardiovascular disease management.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Public Health
- Health Psychology
Background:
- Coronary heart disease (CHD) remains a leading cause of mortality globally.
- Patient awareness and perception of CHD risk factors are critical for disease management and prevention.
- Understanding patient knowledge gaps and health behaviors is essential for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess awareness of coronary heart disease risk factors among patients.
- To evaluate patients' perceptions of their disease and desired level of medical explanation.
- To explore the relationship between education, awareness, and health behaviors in CHD patients.
Main Methods:
- A questionnaire was administered to 100 consecutive coronary heart disease patients at a hospital clinic.
- Data collected included awareness of risk factors, disease perception, and demographic information.
- Analysis focused on knowledge levels, behavioral adherence, and educational impact.
Main Results:
- Patients demonstrated awareness of some risk factors (e.g., hypercholesterolemia, stress, smoking) but less knowledge of others (e.g., diabetes, family history).
- Despite awareness, patients often failed to modify risk behaviors, with smoking being prevalent.
- Formal education did not significantly influence positive health behaviors; many patients expected a cure and desired more information from doctors.
Conclusions:
- Translating patient awareness of coronary heart disease into effective health behaviors requires targeted strategies.
- Increased time spent by physicians on patient education and explanation may improve health outcomes.
- Future interventions should focus on bridging the gap between knowledge and behavior in cardiovascular disease management.
Abstract:
One hundred consecutive patients with coronary heart disease attending the Physician Clinic, Kuala Terengganu General Hospital self-completed a questionnaire on their awareness of the coronary risk factors and their perception of their disease. Seventy-one subjects were males. Twenty-seven subjects had never had formal education and only 6 had completed tertiary education. Whilst 52% considered themselves as having less than 25% knowledge about their disease, many were aware of hypercholesterolaemia, emotional stress, inadequate exercise and smoking as risk factors for coronary heart disease. Diabetes and family history were less known as coronary risk factors. Despite their awareness of the risk factors, though, the subjects failed to control these. For example, smoking was prevalent and their awareness of the harmful effects of smoking did not seem to deter them from this habit. Further, formal education did not seem to influence positive health behaviour. In terms of disease perception, the subjects tended to believe that their illness could be cured. Eighty subjects expected a cure from their doctors. Sixty-three subjects wanted more explanation of their illness from their doctors. These findings suggest that efforts should be made to translate patients' awareness of their illness to appropriate health behaviour, and perhaps doctors could achieve this by spending more time explaining to the patients, and educating them.