Cent Eur J Public Health 2011, 19(4):183-189 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3675

Awareness of Cardiovascular Prevention Methods among Residents of Post-Communist Polish Provinces with Highest Mortality Rates

Małgorzata Pikala1, Dorota Kaleta1, Wojciech Bielecki1, Irena Maniecka-Bryła1, Wojciech Drygas1,2, Magdalena Kwaśniewska1
1 Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Medical University of Łódź, Łódź, Poland
2 Department of Epidemiology, Cardiovascular Prevention and Health Promotion, Institute of Cardiology, Warsaw, Poland

Aim: The aim of the study was to estimate the awareness of healthy lifestyle behaviours in cardiovascular diseases (CVD) prevention and to find out possible determinants of this knowledge among adult residents of Polish provinces with the highest CVD mortality rates.

Material and Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of randomly selected representative sample of 2,211 (51.9% women) aged 20-74 years from Łódź and Lublin voivodeships participating in the National Polish Health Survey WOBASZ. Knowledge on CVD prevention, sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics were collected by an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Blood pressure, anthropometrics, plasma lipids and glucose were measured according to the WHO MONICA protocol.

Results: Approximately 68% of participants, had poor awareness of preventive methods and majority of them were not able to name any specific approach. Most often mentioned method of CVD prevention was relaxing/avoiding stress (51.2%). The least known healthy behaviour was a reduction of salt intake and adequate fruit/vegetables consumption, mentioned by 18.2% and 23%, respectively. About 16.4% of women and 23% of men with risk factors of CVD were not aware of any non-pharmacological preventive method. Poor knowledge of CVD prevention was significantly more prevalent among persons aged ≥65 years, with elementary education level, lower income, living in the rural settings, declaring poor self-rated health. Dietary and physical activity advice given by a primary care physician was significantly related to better knowledge among men with CVD risk factors.

Conclusions: There is a need to focus on increasing educational level in this regions, especially in rural settings. Due to important role of primary care physicians in health education, more attention should be paid to individuals with CVD risk factors as their preventive knowledge level is very low and comparable to the level of low-risk individuals.

Keywords: cardiovascular disease, prevention, socioeconomic factors, health promotion, medical care, Central Europe

Received: March 2, 2011; Revised: August 12, 2011; Accepted: August 12, 2011; Published: December 1, 2011  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago Chicago Notes IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Pikala M, Kaleta D, Bielecki W, Maniecka-Bryła I, Drygas W, Kwaśniewska M. Awareness of Cardiovascular Prevention Methods among Residents of Post-Communist Polish Provinces with Highest Mortality Rates. Cent Eur J Public Health. 2011;19(4):183-189. doi: 10.21101/cejph.a3675. PubMed PMID: 22432391.
Share...
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. Maniecka-Bryła I, Bryła M, Drygas W. The epidemiological situation of cardiovascular diseases in the Lodz region compared to Poland at the beginning of the 21st century. Przegl Epidemiol. 2005;59(4):923-32. (In Polish.) Go to PubMed...
    2. Rywik SL, Piotrowski W, Rywik TM, Broda G, Szcześniewska D. Is the decrease of cardiovascular mortality in Poland associated with the reduction of global cardiovascular risk related to changes in life style? Kardiol Pol. 2003 May;58(5):344-55; discussion: 355. Go to PubMed...
    3. Kwaśniewska M, Kaleta D, Dziankowska-Zaborszczyk E, Drygas W. Healthy behaviours, lifestyle patterns and sociodemographic determinants of the metabolic syndrome. Cent Eur J Public Health. 2009 Mar;17(1):149. Go to original source...
    4. Kwaśniewska M, Kaleta D, Dziankowska-Zaborszczyk E, Drygas W, Makowiec-Dabrowska T. Lifestyle index and self-rated health status. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2007;20(4):349-56. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    5. Kwaśniewska M, Bielecki W, Kaczmarczyk-Chałas K, Małgorzata P, Drygas W. Prevalence of healthy lifestyle in adult residents of Lódź and Lublin voivodeships-project WOBASZ. Przegl Lek. 2007;64(2):61-4. (In Polish.)
    6. Prochaska JO, DiClemente CC. Stages of change in the modification of problem behaviors. Prog Behav Modif. 1992;28:183-218.
    7. Stelmach W, Kaczmarczyk-Chałas K, Bielecki W, Drygas W. How education, income, control over life and life style contribute to risk factors for cardiovascular disease among adults in a post-communist country. Public Health. 2005 Jun;119(6):498-508. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    8. Graham I, Atar D, Borch-Johnsen K, Boysen G, Burell G, Cifkova R, et al.; European Society of Cardiology (ESC); European Association for Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation (EACPR); Council on Cardiovascular Nursing; European Association for Study of Diabetes (EASD); International Diabetes Federation Europe (IDF-Europe); European Stroke Initiative (EUSI), et al. European guidelines on cardiovascular disease prevention in clinical practice: full text. Eur J Cardiovasc Prev Rehabil. 2007 Sep;14 Suppl 2:S1-113. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    9. Piwońska A, Piotrowski W, Broda G. Ten-year risk of fatal cardiovascular disease in the Polish population and medical care. Results of the WOBASZ study. Kardiol Pol. 2010 Jun;68(6):672-7. Go to PubMed...
    10. Broda G, Rywik S. Multi-center all-Polish health survey - WOBASZ project: defining the problem and aims of the study. Polish Population Review. 2005;27:29-38.
    11. Rywik S, Kupść W, Piotrowski W, et al. Multi-center all-Polish health survey - WOBASZ project: methodological assumption and logistics. Polish Population Review. 2005;27:37-50.
    12. WHO MONICA Project. MONICA manual: cardiovascular disease. Geneva: WHO; 1990.
    13. Stelmach W, Kaczmarczyk-Chałas K, Bielecki W, Stelmach I, Drygas W. How income and education contribute to risk factors for cardiovascular disease in the elderly in a former Communist country. Public Health. 2004 Sep;118(6):439-49. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    14. Wong BM, Garcia Y, BarrA, Glazier RH,Abramson BL. Cardiovascular risk factor awareness in a disadvantaged inner-city population-implications for preventive strategies. Can J Cardiol. 2008 Sep;24(9):677-82. Go to original source...
    15. Mosca L, Jones WK, King KB, Ouyang P, Redberg RF, Hill MN;American HeartAssociation Women's Heart Disease and Stroke Campaign Task Force. Awareness, perception, and knowledge of heart disease risk and prevention among women in the United States. Arch Fam Med. 2000 Jun;9(6):506-15. Go to original source...
    16. Gamm LD, Hutchison LL, Dabney BJ, DorseyAM, editors. Rural healthy people 2010: a companion document to Healthy People 2010. Vol 1. College Station: The TexasA&M University System Health Science Center, School of Rural Public Health, Southwest Rural Health Research Center; 2003.
    17. Dodani S, Mistry R, Khwaja A, Farooqi M, Qureshi R, Kazmi K. Prevalence and awareness of risk factors and behaviours of coronary heart disease in an urban population of Karachi, the largest city of Pakistan: a community survey. J Public Health (Oxf). 2004 Sep;26(3):245-9. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    18. Andersson P, Sjöberg RL, Ohrvik J, Leppert J. Knowledge about cardiovascular risk factors among obese individuals. Eur J Cardiovasc Nurs. 2006 Dec;5(4):275-9. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    19. Celentano A, Palmieri V, Panico S, Russo C, Arezzi E, Pezzullo S, et al. Individuals' cardiovascular risk profile projected by family doctors and individuals' knowledge of cardiovascular risk factors: a challenge for primary prevention. The cardiovascular risk prevention project "Help Your Heart Stay Young". Ital Heart J. 2005 Jul;6(7):557-64.
    20. Prochaska JO, DiClemente CC. Stages of change in the modification of problem behaviors. Prog Behav Modif. 1992;28:183-218.
    21. Pommerenke FA, Weed DL. Physician compliance: improving skills in preventive medicine practices.Am Fam Physician. 1991 Feb;43(2):560-8.
    22. Flocke SA, Stange KC, Goodwin MA. Patient and visit characteristics associated with opportunistic preventive services delivery. J Fam Pract. 1998 Sep;47(3):202-8.
    23. Legato MJ, Padus E, Slaughter E. Women's perceptions of their general health, with special reference to their risk of coronary artery disease: results of a national telephone survey. J Womens Health. 1997 Apr;6(2):189-98. Go to original source...
    24. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Missed opportunities in preventive counseling for cardiovascular disease - United States, 1995. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 1998 Feb 13;47(5):91-5.
    25. Podl TR, Goodwin MA, Kikano GE, Stange KC. Direct observation of exercise counseling in community family practice.Am J Prev Med. 1999 Oct;17(3):207-10. Go to original source...
    26. Braun BL, Fowles JB, Solberg LI, Kind EA, Lando H, Pine D. Smokingrelated attitudes and clinical practices of medical personnel in Minnesota. Am J Prev Med. 2004 Nov;27(4):316-22. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    27. Mirand AL, Beehler GP, Kuo CL, Mahoney MC. Explaining the deprioritization of primary prevention: physicians'perceptions of their role in the delivery of primary care. BMC Public Health. 2003 May 2;3:15. Go to original source...

    Return to the content