%0 Journal Article %1 rau_evaluation_2009 %A Rau, Rüdiger %A Mensing, Monika %D 2009 %J Medizinische Klinik (Munich, Germany: 1983) %K imported %N 10 %P 799--805 %R 10.1007/s00063-009-1165-9 %T Evaluation of the public-health intervention "Healthy Lower Rhine ... against Stroke" by phone surveys. A comparison of community knowledge of stroke by two surveys in the Lower Rhine Region, district of Wesel, Germany, 2002 and 2008 %U http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19856153 %V 104 %X BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: From 2003 to 2008, the program "Healthy Lower Rhine ... against Stroke" was carried out by the Healthy Lower Rhine Network consisting of Health-Conference agencies of six neighboring districts and municipalities. The initiative aims primarily at improving public knowledge on stroke with regard to proper action - Ä stroke is a medical emergency, so phone the emergency number 112 immediately!" - and stroke warning signs and symptoms. The campaign is designed to eventually reduce prehospital time, i.e., delays from onset of symptoms to hospital delivery. In the Wesel district (North Rhine-Westphalia NRW) the local Health Conference commissioned two representative telephone surveys with a T(0) survey before the start of the program in 2003 and T(1) in 2008 prior to the end of the 5 years' runtime. METHODS: The telephone survey was carried out by the CATI Laboratory (Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviews) of the Survey Center for Social Science (SUZ) in Duisburg in collaboration with the Institute of Health and Work NRW (LIGA.NRW) and the Health-Conference agency of the Wesel district. The study population was the adult community with about 385,000 inhabitants. The random sample comprised 1,089 persons for the T(0) survey (02/18/02-03/28/02) and 1,104 persons were interviewed for the T(1) poll (03/18/08-04/05/08). RESULTS: While in 2002 a proportion of 31.9\% of the interviewed persons knew not a single correct stroke symptom, in 2008 this portion amounted to 27.3\%. Three or more correct signs were mentioned by 18.6\% in the T0 survey versus 25.5\% in 2008 (T(1) survey). Symptoms which were mentioned significantly more frequently in 2008 than in 2002 were hemiplegia and dropping corner of the mouth (+5.3\%), respectively, numbness/paresthesia (+17.9\%), trouble speaking or understanding (+6.1\%), and trouble seeing/visual impairment (+4.3\%). When being asked: "What would you do in case of stroke?", 69\% of the answers in 2008 were correct (call emergency number 112). There were no significant differences in knowledge of risk factors. About 25\% of participants in 2008 stated, that they remembered the stroke awareness campaign or related events. CONCLUSION: The present study shows a moderate improvement of community knowledge about stroke with respect to symptoms and proper action in the course of the 5 years' public-health intervention. In comparison to similar surveys performed in 2000 and 2004, especially knowledge of correct action in case of emergency (stroke = medical emergency = call 112) improved. Still, there are persisting gaps in knowledge about stroke in the community, which make further efforts of improving this knowledge recommendable.

@article{rau_[evaluation_2009, abstract = {{BACKGROUND} {AND} {PURPOSE:} From 2003 to 2008, the program {"Healthy} Lower Rhine ... against Stroke" was carried out by the Healthy Lower Rhine Network consisting of {Health-Conference} agencies of six neighboring districts and municipalities. The initiative aims primarily at improving public knowledge on stroke with regard to proper action - {"A} stroke is a medical emergency, so phone the emergency number 112 immediately!" - and stroke warning signs and symptoms. The campaign is designed to eventually reduce prehospital time, i.e., delays from onset of symptoms to hospital delivery. In the Wesel district {(North} {Rhine-Westphalia} {[NRW])} the local Health Conference commissioned two representative telephone surveys with a T(0) survey before the start of the program in 2003 and T(1) in 2008 prior to the end of the 5 years' runtime. {METHODS:} The telephone survey was carried out by the {CATI} Laboratory {(Computer-Assisted} Telephone Interviews) of the Survey Center for Social Science {(SUZ)} in Duisburg in collaboration with the Institute of Health and Work {NRW} {(LIGA.NRW)} and the {Health-Conference} agency of the Wesel district. The study population was the adult community with about 385,000 inhabitants. The random sample comprised 1,089 persons for the T(0) survey (02/18/02-03/28/02) and 1,104 persons were interviewed for the T(1) poll (03/18/08-04/05/08). {RESULTS:} While in 2002 a proportion of 31.9\% of the interviewed persons knew not a single correct stroke symptom, in 2008 this portion amounted to 27.3\%. Three or more correct signs were mentioned by 18.6\% in the T0 survey versus 25.5\% in 2008 {(T(1)} survey). Symptoms which were mentioned significantly more frequently in 2008 than in 2002 were hemiplegia and dropping corner of the mouth (+5.3\%), respectively, numbness/paresthesia (+17.9\%), trouble speaking or understanding (+6.1\%), and trouble seeing/visual impairment (+4.3\%). When being asked: {"What} would you do in case of stroke?", 69\% of the answers in 2008 were correct (call emergency number 112). There were no significant differences in knowledge of risk factors. About 25\% of participants in 2008 stated, that they remembered the stroke awareness campaign or related events. {CONCLUSION:} The present study shows a moderate improvement of community knowledge about stroke with respect to symptoms and proper action in the course of the 5 years' public-health intervention. In comparison to similar surveys performed in 2000 and 2004, especially knowledge of correct action in case of emergency (stroke = medical emergency = call 112) improved. Still, there are persisting gaps in knowledge about stroke in the community, which make further efforts of improving this knowledge recommendable.}, added-at = {2011-03-11T10:05:34.000+0100}, author = {Rau, Rüdiger and Mensing, Monika}, biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/2fd8b80a7280c1e39b5f245f8c8fa3fdc/jelias}, doi = {10.1007/s00063-009-1165-9}, interhash = {a1f7cf47113ab3314150958e73fa4192}, intrahash = {fd8b80a7280c1e39b5f245f8c8fa3fdc}, issn = {1615-6722}, journal = {Medizinische Klinik {(Munich,} Germany: 1983)}, keywords = {imported}, month = oct, note = {{PMID:} 19856153}, number = 10, pages = {799--805}, timestamp = {2011-03-11T10:05:55.000+0100}, title = {{[Evaluation} of the public-health intervention {"Healthy} Lower Rhine ... against Stroke" by phone surveys. A comparison of community knowledge of stroke by two surveys in the Lower Rhine Region, district of Wesel, Germany, 2002 and 2008]}, url = {http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19856153}, volume = 104, year = 2009 }