Promoting Heart Health: Raising Screening Awareness at a Brisbane Medical Center

TL;DR

This study found that many Brisbane residents over 45 lack awareness and compliance with heart disease prevention screenings, suggesting a need for better education and early intervention.

Contribution

The study identifies a knowledge gap in CVD prevention among older adults in Brisbane and highlights the need for clinician-led awareness campaigns.

Findings

Only 58.1% of participants were aware of CVD prevention screening programs.

Just 21.9% of participants were compliant with recommended screenings.

66.6% of participants had never undergone cardiovascular health checks.

Abstract

Background

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a largely preventable, chronic, and progressive medical condition. There appears to be a general lack of knowledge about CVD prevention in the community. This pilot study was carried out to investigate the level of knowledge of CVD prevention among patients visiting a general practitioner (GP) practice in Brisbane.

Aim

To investigate the level of knowledge of CVD prevention among people visiting a local medical clinic in Brisbane, and to identify the factors responsible for any knowledge deficits.

Material and methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted among Brisbane residents aged 45 years and older visiting a local medical center. This study surveyed 105 Australian individuals via an online survey or a hard copy questionnaire for those without online access. A combination of closed-ended questions and multiple-choice questionnaires was utilized to collect the data.

Questions were formulated to assess the level of knowledge of CVD prevention among this demographic, exploring the subjects' awareness of the screening program, their adherence, factors behind non-adherence, and understanding the influence of education level and occupation on adherence.

Results

A total of 105 Brisbane adults completed the survey, of which 56 (53.3%) were male. The study found that 61 (58.1%) of the participants were aware of the CVD prevention screening program, but only 22 (21.9%) were compliant with it. Twelve (11.4%) participants attended these preventive screenings less frequently than recommended, while the remaining 69 (66.6%) had never undergone cardiovascular health checks.

Conclusion

Analysis of data from this population suggests that there is a knowledge deficit among Brisbane residents regarding CVD prevention programs. Enhanced efforts by clinicians to make patients aware of these screening tools and to employ early intervention strategies, especially lifestyle choices at an earlier age, would help lower the burden of CVD.

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