AWARENESS OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES AND THEIR ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG ALLIED HEALTH SCIENCE STUDENTS IN DISTRICT MARDAN
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.71000/1wzqf861Keywords:
Cardiovascular diseases, health literacy, CVD risk factor, CVD awareness, preventive education, students, warning signsAbstract
Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the leading cause of global mortality and morbidity, accounting for nearly one-third of all deaths worldwide. Awareness of CVD risk factors and warning signs plays a crucial role in early prevention and management. Despite this importance, there is limited research assessing awareness levels among future healthcare professionals in District Mardan, Pakistan.
Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the level of knowledge and awareness regarding cardiovascular disease risk factors and warning signs among Allied Health Science students in District Mardan and to identify demographic and academic determinants associated with awareness levels.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from 5 May 2023 to 15 October 2023, among Allied Health Sciences students aged 18 years and above enrolled in institutions across District Mardan. A structured, pre-tested questionnaire was distributed via Google Forms. The survey covered sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle habits, and knowledge regarding CVD risk factors and warning signs. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 26. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, and logistic regression were applied to identify associations, with p<0.05 considered statistically significant.
Results: Out of 1,224 distributed questionnaires, 1,201 were valid (response rate 98.12%). The majority of participants were aged 18–24 years (61.5%) and male (60.6%). Smoking (95.2%) and obesity (93.6%) were the most recognized risk factors, while chest pain (87.8%) and shortness of breath (78.9%) were the most commonly identified warning signs. Overall, 61.5% demonstrated good combined knowledge of CVD risk factors and warning signs. Participants aged >30 years scored the highest (14.55 ± 0.19; p<0.001). Urban residents showed significantly higher awareness compared to rural counterparts (OR=0.6; 95% CI: 13.51–14.31; p<0.05). Marital status, academic program, and semester were also significantly associated with awareness levels (p<0.001).
Conclusion: The study revealed inadequate yet promising awareness of cardiovascular disease risk factors and warning signs among Allied Health Science students in District Mardan. Strengthening health literacy and integrating preventive cardiology education into Allied Health curricula could play a pivotal role in improving public cardiovascular health outcomes.
References
Drobni ZD, Alvi RM, Taron J, Zafar A, Murphy SP, Rambarat PK, et al. Association Between Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors With Cardiovascular Events and Atherosclerotic Plaque. Circulation. 2020;142(24):2299-311.
Krittanawong C, Maitra NS, Qadeer YK, Wang Z, Fogg S, Storch EA, et al. Association of Depression and Cardiovascular Disease. Am J Med. 2023;136(9):881-95.
Kankaya H, Yesilbalkan OU. Awareness of risk factors and warning signs of stroke among nursing students: Results from questionnaire. Niger J Clin Pract. 2021;24(5):729-34.
Sachdev V, Rosing DR, Thein SL. Cardiovascular complications of sickle cell disease. Trends Cardiovasc Med. 2021;31(3):187-93.
Williams O, Ting T, Matthews L, Block G, Block T, Teresi J, et al. Community Health workers United to Reduce Colorectal cancer and cardiovascular disease among people at Higher risk (CHURCH): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials. 2024;25(1):283.
Sylaja PN, Babu V, Sivasambath S, Zechariah F, Gireeshan S, Ganesan G, et al. Development and Effect of a Coordinated Community Health Worker Intervention Model for the Stroke Survivors in Kerala, South India. Cerebrovasc Dis. 2024;53(6):667-73.
Mallaiah J, Williams O, Allegrante JP. Development and Validation of a Stroke Literacy Assessment Test for Community Health Workers. Health Educ Behav. 2024;51(5):764-74.
Tisdale JE, Chung MK, Campbell KB, Hammadah M, Joglar JA, Leclerc J, et al. Drug-Induced Arrhythmias: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2020;142(15):e214-e33.
Shibata T, Kondo M, Fukushima Y, Akiyama M, Akiyama T, Morooka T, et al. Epilepsy in Children With Congenital Heart Disease: Risk Factors and Characteristic Presentations. Pediatr Neurol. 2023;147:28-35.
Li GH, Cheung CL, Chung AK, Cheung BM, Wong IC, Fok MLY, et al. Evaluation of bi-directional causal association between depression and cardiovascular diseases: a Mendelian randomization study. Psychol Med. 2022;52(9):1765-76.
Regitz-Zagrosek V, Gebhard C. Gender medicine: effects of sex and gender on cardiovascular disease manifestation and outcomes. Nat Rev Cardiol. 2023;20(4):236-47.
Rossi A, Mikail N, Bengs S, Haider A, Treyer V, Buechel RR, et al. Heart-brain interactions in cardiac and brain diseases: why sex matters. Eur Heart J. 2022;43(39):3971-80.
Leistner DM, Laguna-Fernandez A, Haghikia A, Abdelwahed YS, Schatz AS, Erbay A, et al. Impact of elevated lipoprotein(a) on coronary artery disease phenotype and severity. Eur J Prev Cardiol. 2024;31(7):856-65.
Singh D, Han MK, Hawkins NM, Hurst JR, Kocks JWH, Skolnik N, et al. Implications of Cardiopulmonary Risk for the Management of COPD: A Narrative Review. Adv Ther. 2024;41(6):2151-67.
Meyerov J, Guo C, Tan L. Improving awareness of cardiovascular risk factors in young Australian adults: We can do better. Aust J Gen Pract. 2024;53(7):511-2.
Rowland SA, Ramos AK, Carvajal-Suarez M, Trinidad N, Johnson-Beller R, Struwe L, et al. Musculoskeletal Pain and Cardiovascular Risk in Hispanic/Latino Meatpacking Workers. Workplace Health Saf. 2021;69(12):556-63.
Bains S, Neves R, Bos JM, Giudicessi JR, MacIntyre C, Ackerman MJ. Phenotypes of Overdiagnosed Long QT Syndrome. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2023;81(5):477-86.
Adetunji A, Uche-Orji C, Ezebialu C, Adebayo PC, Sanusi F, Imo U, et al. The prevalence and risk factors of pre-hypertension and hypertension among clinical students at the university of Ibadan, Nigeria. BMC Cardiovasc Disord. 2025;25(1):393.
Streed CG, Jr., Radix AE. Prioritizing Patient Perspectives: Cardiovascular Health of Transgender and Nonbinary People. Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes. 2024;17(9):e011319.
Estebsari F, Barati M, Stiri S, Latifi M, Shahsavari A, Milani AS, et al. Risk factors of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in young adults: a community-based study of Iranian context. BMC Public Health. 2024;24(1):2543.
Sagris M, Antonopoulos AS, Theofilis P, Oikonomou E, Siasos G, Tsalamandris S, et al. Risk factors profile of young and older patients with myocardial infarction. Cardiovasc Res. 2022;118(10):2281-92.
Nwanyanwu K, Andoh J, Chen E, Xu Y, Granados A, Deng Y, et al. Social Determinants Associated with Diabetic Retinopathy Awareness: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2005-2008). Am J Ophthalmol. 2025;278:389-401.
Shi S, Zhao Q, Wu G, Yan H, Yu B, Zheng Q, et al. Variation and disparity in awareness of atrial fibrillation in China: A national cross-sectional study. Int J Cardiol. 2024;404:131957.
Le A, Peng H, Golinsky D, Di Scipio M, Lali R, Paré G. What Causes Premature Coronary Artery Disease? Curr Atheroscler Rep. 2024;26(6):189-203.
Muhihi AJ, Anaeli A, Mpembeni RNM, Sunguya BF, Leyna G, Kakoko D, et al. Public knowledge of risk factors and warning signs for cardiovascular disease among young and middle-aged adults in rural Tanzania. BMC Public Health. 2020 Dec 1;20(1).
Mujamammi A, Alluhaymid Y, Alshibani M, Alotaibi F, Alzahrani K, Alotaibi A, et al. Awareness of cardiovascular disease associated risk factors among Saudis in Riyadh City. J Family Med Prim Care [Internet]. 2020 [cited 2024 Jul 16];9(6):3100.
Koohi F, Khalili D. Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Regarding Cardiovascular Diseases in Adults Attending Health Care Centers in Tehran, Iran. Int J Endocrinol Metab [Internet]. 2020 Jul 1 [cited 2024 Jul 16];18(3).
Al-Makhamreh H, Alkhulaifat D, Al-Ani A, Mafrachi B, Saadeh A, Al-Ani H, et al. The Impact of War-Related Stress on Coronary Artery Disease Severity in War Survivors: A SYNTAX Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health [Internet]. 2021 Mar 2 [cited 2024 Jul 16];18(6):1–10.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Muhammad Hashim Khan, Adan Naib, Khalid khan, Aneela Gul, Syed Liaquat Ali Shah, Jafar Iqbal, Muhammad Tayyeb, Muhammad Waqas (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
