Public and outpatients’ awareness of calling emergency medical services immediately by acute stroke in an upper middle-income country: a cross-sectional questionnaire study in greater Gaborone, Botswana

OBJECTIVES: In this cross-sectional study from Botswana, we investigated awareness of calling emergency medical services (EMS) and seeking immediate medical assistance by acute stroke among stroke risk outpatients and public. METHOD: Closed-ended questionnaires on awareness of calling EMS and seeking immediate medical assistance by acute stroke, were administered by research assistants to a representative selection of outpatients and public. RESULTS: The response rate was 96.0% (93.0% for public (2013) and 96.6% for outpatients (795)). Public respondents had mean age of 36.1 ± 14.5 years (age range 18–90 years) and 54.5% were females, while outpatients had mean age of 37.4 ± 12.7 years (age range 18–80 years) and 58.1% were females. Awareness of calling EMS (78.3%), and of seeking immediate medical assistance (93.1%) by stroke attack was adequate. For calling EMS by acute stroke, outpatients had higher awareness than the public (p < 0.05) among those with unhealthy diet (90.9% vs 71.1%), family history of both stroke and heart diseases (90.7% vs 61.2%), no history of psychiatric diseases (93.2% vs 76.0%) and sedentary lifestyle (87.5% vs 74.8%). Predictors of low awareness of both calling EMS and seeking immediate medical assistance were no medical insurance, residing/working together, history of psychiatric diseases, and normal weight. Male gender, ≥50 years age, primary education, family history of both stroke and heart diseases, current smoking, no history of HIV/AIDS, and light physical activity were predictors of low awareness of need for calling EMS. CONCLUSION: Results call for educational campaigns on awareness of calling EMS and seeking immediate medical assistance among those with high risk factor levels. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12883-022-02859-z.