title: Awareness of cardiovascular prevention methods among residents of post-communist Polish provinces with highest mortality rates.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to estimate the awareness of healthy lifestyle behaviours in cardiovascular diseases (CVD) prevention and to find out possible determinants of this knowledge among adult residents of Polish provinces with the highest CVD mortality rates.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional analysis of randomly selected representative sample of 2,211 (51.9% women) aged 20-74 years from Łódź and Lublin voivodeships participating in the National Polish Health Survey WOBASZ. Knowledge on CVD prevention, sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics were collected by an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Blood pressure, anthropometrics, plasma lipids and glucose were measured according to the WHO MONICA protocol.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Approximately 68% of participants, had poor awareness of preventive methods and majority of them were not able to name any specific approach. Most often mentioned method of CVD prevention was relaxing/avoiding stress (51.2%). The least known healthy behaviour was a reduction of salt intake and adequate fruit/vegetables consumption, mentioned by 18.2% and 23%, respectively. About 16.4% of women and 23% of men with risk factors of CVD were not aware of any non-pharmacological preventive method. Poor knowledge of CVD prevention was significantly more prevalent among persons aged > or = 65 years, with elementary education level, lower income, living in the rural settings, declaring poor self-rated health. Dietary and physical activity advice given by a primary care physician was significantly related to better knowledge among men with CVD risk factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a need to focus on increasing educational level in this regions, especially in rural settings. Due to important role of primary care physicians in health education, more attention should be paid to individuals with CVD risk factors as their preventive knowledge level is very low and comparable to the level of low-risk individuals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Medical University of Łódź, Łódź, Poland.
authors.forename: Małgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pikala
authors.forename: Dorota
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kaleta
authors.forename: Wojciech
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Bielecki
authors.forename: Irena
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Maniecka-Bryła
authors.forename: Wojciech
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Drygas
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kwaśniewska
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000401:mortality* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000379:methods*; D012923:Social Class; D055815:Young Adult