Awareness of cardiovascular diseases and their associated risk factors among the general population in Hail city, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background: Cardiovascular diseases are one of the major health problems and the leading cause of mortality and disability globally. CVDs are responsible for 17.3 million deaths annually. Epidemiological data on the knowledge and attitude towards cardiovascular diseases and risk factors among the general population in Saudi Arabia is lacking; therefore, assessing the public awareness of cardiovascular risk factors and diseases is critical. Methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study that was conducted among 1,172 participants from the general population in Hail city. Using a self-administered questionnaire, the sample was selected at random from 18-60 years olds. Results: A total of 1,172 participants responded to the survey. Participants who responded were mostly males (69.1%) and (30.7%) were females. Participants managed to recognize that coronary heart disease (74.5%), congenital heart disease (53.4%) ares types of CVDs. The overall knowledge on cardiovascular disease was poor with mean score of 12.24 out of 25.0. Conclusion: The available data indicate poor knowledge about cardiovascular diseases and associated risk factors;, it’s very important to establish more widespread awareness campaigns regarding CVDs awareness. Keywords: Myocardial infarction, Acute coronary syndrome, Survey, Cardiovascular diseases, Ha’il, Saudi Arabia