Effect of an educational intervention on knowledge and perception of individuals at risk for stroke in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia

OBJECTIVES: To assess the effect of an educational program on the knowledge and perception of stroke in individuals at risk. METHODS: This quasi experiment study, conducted in Health Education Clinics at King Salman Armed Forces Hospital, was designed to assess the knowledge of people who were at risk for stroke, before and after delivering educational content. This content comprised 4-minute face-to-face explanation by a trained educator, 99-second video clip and a short hand-out. The assessment was performed by administering a structured questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 313 people participated in this study. Before the intervention, 63.6% understood stroke to be due to a disturbance in blood flow resulting in loss of brain function. After delivery of the educational content, the percentage raised to 97.1%. Thirty-Four and Eight percent (109) of participants stated they knew stroke symptoms, and 55.96% knew 2 to 4 symptoms prior to intervention. Our educational content raised these percentages to 98.4% and 79.8% respectively. Good knowledge of stroke symptoms and risk factors was associated with younger age and higher level of education. CONCLUSION: Educational content by means of one-to-one interaction with trained educators, video clips and handouts results in significant improvement in understanding of stroke symptoms and risk factors among at-risk participants.