title: Public understanding of the causes of high stroke risk in northeast Bulgaria.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Knowledge of stroke risk factors is undocumented in Bulgaria.
  
  
  METHODS
  188 subjects in 2000 and 447 in 2003 were asked: 'Why do you think stroke is so common in this region?'
  
  
  RESULTS
  Stress and poverty accounted for 69% of the first mentions in 2000 and 59% in 2003. There were no mentions of high blood pressure and no first mentions of smoking in 2000. High blood pressure appears only 10 times and smoking 12 times among 745 answers in 2003.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Health education on the established causes of stroke is an urgent priority in Bulgaria.
authors.affiliation: Varna Diet and Stroke Study, Department of Social Medicine, Medical University of Varna, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: Klara G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Dokova
authors.forename: Krassimira J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Stoeva
authors.forename: Philip I
authors.initials: PI
authors.lastname: Kirov
authors.forename: Nevjana G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Feschieva
authors.forename: Stefka P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Petrova
authors.forename: John W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Powles
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002031:Bulgaria / Q000453:epidemiology; D032882:Comprehension; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires