title: Poor stroke risk perception despite moderate public stroke awareness: insight from a cross-sectional national survey in Greece.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although stroke is the fourth cause of death in Western societies, public stroke awareness remains suboptimal. The aim of this study was to estimate stroke risk perception and stroke awareness in Greece through a cross-sectional telephone survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  A trained interview team conducted this cross-sectional telephone survey between February and April 2014 using an online structured questionnaire. Participants were selected using random digit dialing of landline and mobile telephone numbers with quota sampling weighted for geographical region based on the most recent General Population Census (2011).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between February and April 2014, 723 individuals (418 women [58%], 47.4 ± 17.8 years) agreed to respond. Among all respondents, 642 (88.8%) were able to provide at least 1 stroke risk factor; 673 respondents (93.08%) were able to provide correctly at least 1 stroke symptom or sign. When asked what would they do in case of acute onset of stroke symptoms, 497 (68.7%) responded that they would either call the ambulance or visit the closest emergency department. Only 35.3%, 18.9%, 17.2%, 20.7%, and 15.0% of respondents with atrial fibrillation, arterial hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, and current smoking, respectively, considered themselves as being in high risk for stroke.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Stroke risk perception in Greece is low despite moderate public stroke awareness.
authors: Department of Medicine and Research Laboratory of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece. Electronic address: gntaios@med.uth.gr.
authors: George
authors: G
authors: Ntaios
authors: Department of Medicine and Research Laboratory of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece.
authors: Vasiliki
authors: V
authors: Melikoki
authors: Department of Medicine and Research Laboratory of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece.
authors: George
authors: G
authors: Perifanos
authors: Department of Medicine and Research Laboratory of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece.
authors: Kalliopi
authors: K
authors: Perlepe
authors: Sub-Directorate of Informatics, General University Hospital of Larissa, Larissa, Greece.
authors: Fotios
authors: F
authors: Gioulekas
authors: Department of Medicine and Research Laboratory of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece.
authors: Anastasia
authors: A
authors: Karagiannaki
authors: Department of Medicine and Research Laboratory of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece.
authors: Ioanna
authors: I
authors: Tsantzali
authors: Department of Medicine and Research Laboratory of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece.
authors: Chrysanthi
authors: C
authors: Lazarou
authors: Department of Medicine and Research Laboratory of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece.
authors: Nikolaos
authors: N
authors: Beradze
authors: Department of Medicine and Research Laboratory of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece.
authors: Evdoxia
authors: E
authors: Poulianiti
authors: Department of Medicine and Research Laboratory of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece.
authors: Matina
authors: M
authors: Poulikakou
authors: Department of Medicine and Research Laboratory of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece.
authors: Theofanis
authors: T
authors: Palantzas
authors: Department of Medicine and Research Laboratory of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece.
authors: Stavrina
authors: S
authors: Kaditi
authors: Department of Medicine and Research Laboratory of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece.
authors: Fay
authors: F
authors: Perlepe
authors: Department of Medicine and Research Laboratory of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece.
authors: George
authors: G
authors: Sidiropoulos
authors: Department of Medicine and Research Laboratory of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece.
authors: Kyriaki
authors: K
authors: Papageorgiou
authors: Department of Medicine and Research Laboratory of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece.
authors: Vasileios
authors: V
authors: Papavasileiou
authors: Hellenic Cardiovascular Research Society, Athens, Greece.
authors: Konstantinos
authors: K
authors: Vemmos
authors: Department of Medicine and Research Laboratory of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece.
authors: Konstantinos
authors: K
authors: Makaritsis
authors: Department of Medicine and Research Laboratory of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece.
authors: George N
authors: GN
authors: Dalekos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001364:Awareness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010465:Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Stroke; arterial hypertension; atrial fibrillation; stroke awareness; stroke risk perception; survey