Knowledge regarding preventive measures of heart disease among the adult population in Kathmandu

Abstract

Heart disease is the leading cause of death globally. Prevention is the most effective way of combating its epidemic in the resource poor nations. Knowledge on preventive measures of heart diseases has been identified as a prerequisite for change in behavior. This study was conducted with the purpose of identifying the knowledge on heart disease and its prevention among the adults population residing in Dadhikot VDC of Bhaktapur district by interviewing house to house survey. A total of 405 respondents who met the eligible criteria were systematically sampled and interviewed face to face for the study. A pretested Nepali version semi-structured interview schedule was used to collect data from adults. The duration of the study was one month i.e. June, 2011. Among total respondents, 57.8 percent had adequate knowledge on heart disease. Only less than half (46.9%) knew age as non-modifiable risk factor for heart disease followed by hereditary (39.8%) and sex (13.8%). Regarding modifiable risk factors, the most cited response was fatty food consumption (72.6%) followed by smoking (70.4%), stress (63.7%), physical inactivity (61.7%), hypertension (59%), obesity (58.8%), high cholesterol diet (36.5%) and diabetes (30.1%). Most of the respondents (57.8%) knew dyspnea during exertion as symptom of heart disease followed by chest pain (24%). Majority of respondents (80.7%) cited decreasing fatty diet as preventive measure of heart disease following daily exercise (75.6%), eating vegetables and fruits (71.6%), keeping blood pressure under control (59%) and keeping diabetes under control (33.8%) respectively. Knowledge was significantly associated with age, gender, education level and family history of heart disease. Conclusion: The findings concluded that significant percentage (42.2%) of respondents had inadequate knowledge on heart disease. The findings also highlighted the lack of knowledge on high cholesterol diet and diabetes as modifiable risk factors for heart disease i.e. 36.5% and 30.1% respectively. So it is recommended that awareness raising programs could be beneficial on prevention of heart disease is correcting in the deficient areas of knowledge regarding preventive measures of heart disease.