Stroke awareness: surveillance, educational campaigns, and public health practice.
Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability in the United States. However, there is limited public knowledge about stroke signs and symptoms and the importance of seeking immediate medical care. Educational efforts such as stroke awareness campaigns are one way of informing the public about stroke symptoms and the need for early medical treatment following their onset. In this article, we present recent surveillance data concerning public awareness of stroke symptoms; summarize findings from 12 studies of the effectiveness of stroke awareness campaigns; and describe the efforts by three states to develop, implement, and evaluate heart disease and stroke programs, and the lessons to be learned from their experiences.
Payne
Gayle H
GH
Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30341, USA. GPayne@cdc.gov
Fang
Jing
J
Fogle
Crystelle C
CC
Oser
Carrie S
CS
Wigand
Debra A
DA
Theisen
Velma
V
Farris
Rosanne P
RP
D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008281:Maine / Q000453:epidemiology; D008824:Michigan / Q000453:epidemiology; D009009:Montana / Q000453:epidemiology; D015980:Public Health Practice; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control