Background The aim of the present study was to determine whether certain background factors such as gender, education and social status were associated with an individual's knowledge of coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors.
Design A questionnaire survey.
Methods A questionnaire survey designed to evaluate participants’ general knowledge about the risk factors for CHD was used. A total of 1011 50-year-old individuals (457 men and 554 women) from 34 Health Care Centers participated in the study.
Results Knowledge about CHD risk factors was significantly poorer in men than in women. Low education and low socio-economic status were other factors related to poor knowledge of CHD risk factors.
Conclusion This study showed that men with low educational level and low socio-economic status had inadequate information about the risk factors involved in CHD.
SBU.Att förebygga sjukdom i hjärta och kärl genom befolkningsinriktade program — en systematisk litteraturöversikt. (To prevent coronary heart diseases in a population-based program -A systematic literature review). Rapport nr 134; Stockholm, 1997.
2.
VågeröD.Inequality in health — some theoretical and empirical problems. Soc Sci Med1991; 323:67–72.
3.
EpC.Rapport Riskfaktorer för hjärt-kärlsjukdom -regionala och sociala skillnader i Sverige (Risk factors in coronary heart diseases -regional and social disparity in Sweden). 1997: 1.
4.
FeldmanJMakucDMKleinmanJCCornoni-HuntleyJ.National trends in educational differentials in mortality. Am J Epidemiol1989; 124:919–933.
5.
JacobsenBKThelleDS.Risk factors for coronary heart disease and level of education. Am J Epidemiol1988; 127:923–932.
6.
WilhelmsenL.Hjärt- och kärlsjukdomar. I: Folksjukdomar och deras orsaker (Coronary heart diseases. I: Widespread diseases and causes). Stockholm, Folkhälsogruppen (Public Health Group), 1991; 10: 9–30.
7.
WingS.Social inequalities in the decline of coronary mortality. Am J Public Health1988; 78:1415–1416.
8.
OslerMJespersenNBLousJRasmusenNK.Cardiovascular risk factors — extent and self-assessed risk in relation to prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Ugeskr Laeger1992; 154:538–543.
9.
HoeymansNSmitHAVerkleijHKromhoutD.Cardiovascular risk factors in relation to educational level in 36,000 men and women in The Netherlands. Eur Heart J1996; 17:518–525.
10.
Diez-RouxAVNietoFJTyrolerHACrumLDSzkloM.Social inequalities and atherosclerosis. Am J Epidemiol1995; 141:960–972.
11.
HardarssonPGudmundssonKSigvaldsonHSigfussonN.Sambandet mellan utbildning och riskfaktorer för kranskärlssjukdomar. (Correlation between education and risk factors for coronary heart diseases). Nord Med1997; 112:169–175.
12.
FordESJonesDH.Cardiovascular health knowledge in the United States: Findings from the National Health Interview Survey, 1985. Prev Med1991; 20:725–738.
13.
OslerMLousJRasmussenNK.Knowledge, attitudes and cardiovascular risk factor in Danish adults. Scand J Soc Med1992; 20:151–157.
14.
OslerMLousJRasmusssenNK.En undersögelse af medborgarnas forebyggelse af hjerte-karsygdomme i Vejle amt 1989 (A study of citizens' prevention of coronary heart diseases in Vejle, 1989). Rapport från Dansk Institut for Klinisk Epidemiologi, Köpenhamn.
15.
CummingRGBartonGEFaheyPPWilsonALeederSR.Cardiovascular disease-related knowledge and attitudes in a high-risk Australian population. Med J Aust1989; 150:556–558.
16.
AvisNEMcKinlayJBSmithKW.Is cardiovascular risk factor knowledge sufficient to influence behavior? Am J Prev Med1990; 6:137–144.
17.
LangenhovenMLRossouwJEJoostePLChaltonDOSwanepoelASRossouwLJChange in knowledge in a coronary heart disease risk factor intervention study in three communities. Soc Sci Med1991; 33:71–76.
18.
HerskindAMChristensenECNielsenMROttesenSHoltP.Indicators of coronary risks — attitude, knowledge and behaviour. Ugeskr Laeger1991; 153:1344–1347.
19.
NaslundGK.Relationships between health behaviour, knowledge and beliefs among Swedish blue-collar workers. Scand J Soc Med1997; 25:100–110.
20.
DolecekTASchoenbergerJAOmanJKKremerBKSunseriAJAlbertiJM.Cardiovascular risk factor knowledge and belief in prevention among adults in Chicago. Am J Prev Med1986; 2:262–267.
21.
DavisSKWinklebyMAFarquharJW.Increasing disparity in knowledge of cardiovascular disease risk factors and risk-reduction strategies by socio-economic status: Implications for policy makers. Am J Prev Med1995; 11:318–323.
22.
OslerMSchrollM.Lifestyle and prevention of ischemic heart disease in Denmark. Eur J Public Health1995; 5:109–112.
23.
NourjahPWagenerDKEberhardtMHorowitzAM.Knowledge of risk factors and risk behaviours related to coronary heart disease among blue and white-collar males. J Public Health Policy1994; 15:443–459.
24.
Shakoor-AbdullahBKotchenJMWalkerWECheliusTHHoffmanRG.Incorporating socio-economic and risk factor diversity into the development of an African-American community blood pressure control program. Ethn Dis1997; 7:175–183.
25.
MenottiA.Knowledge, attitude and practice regarding coronary cardiopathy. The Italian section of the HELP (Heart European Leaders Panel) study. G Ital Cardiol1997; 27:1125–1132. (Article in Italian).
26.
National Board of Health and Welfare.Health in Sweden — Sweden's Public Health Report 2001.
27.
WeinhallLHallgrenC-GWestmanGJanlertUWallS.Reduction of selection bias in primary prevention of cardiovascular disease through involvement of primary health care. Scand J Prim Health Care1998; 16:171–176.
