Evaluating stroke patients' awareness of risk factors and readiness to change stroke risk-related behaviors in a randomized controlled trial.
OBJECTIVE
To identify the effects of a brief educational intervention on stroke patients' recall and recognition of risk factors and performance of and stage of change for stroke risk-related behaviors.


METHODS
Sixty-six patients with stroke participated in a multisite randomized controlled trial. The intervention group (n = 35) received a brief education intervention (tailored written stroke information, verbal reinforcement of information for 3 months after discharge, and provision of a telephone number). The control group (n = 31) received usual care. Unprompted recall (personal and general), prompted recognition of risk factors (0-13), and performance of (0-10) and stage of change for up to 7 stroke risk-related behaviors were assessed before and 3 months after discharge.


RESULTS
No significant between-group differences were found. For all participants over time, there were significant improvements for personal (mean difference [MD], 0.3; 95% CI, 0.004-0.69; P = .05) and general (MD, 0.6; 95% CI, 0.09-1.16; P = .02) risk factor recall; performance of stroke risk-related behaviors (MD, 0.8; 95% CI, 0.28-1.26; P < .01); and progression from a nonaction to an action stage of change for 4 of 7 behaviors over time. There was a significant decline in total risk factor recognition scores (MD, -0.8; 95% CI, 0.39-1.13; P < .01).


CONCLUSIONS
Stroke patients' unprompted recall of risk factors and performance of risk-related behaviors improved over time; readiness to change risk-related behaviors progressed for some behaviors. A brief educational intervention did not improve risk factor awareness or behavior change more than usual care.
Division of Occupational Therapy, School of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia Brighton Health Campus and Services, Metro North Hospital and Health Service, Brisbane, Australia.
Sally
S
Eames
Division of Occupational Therapy, School of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia Centre for Research in Evidenced-Based Practice, Bond University, Gold Coast, Australia.
Tammy C
TC
Hoffmann
Division of Occupational Therapy, School of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
Nichola F
NF
Phillips
D000368:Aged; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D021641:Recognition, Psychology; D012307:Risk Factors; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D020521:Stroke / Q000145:classification / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology*
behavior; patient; randomized controlled trial; readiness to change; risk factor; stroke