title: Effective Education Materials to Advance Stroke Awareness Without Teacher Participation in Junior High School Students.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Youth stroke education is promising for the spread of stroke awareness. The aim of this study was to examine whether our stroke awareness teaching materials without teacher's participation can increase student awareness to act fast on suspected stroke signs.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used the face, arm, speech, and time (FAST) mnemonic derived from the Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale. Seventy-three students of the second grade and 72 students of the third grade (age range, 13-15 years) in a junior high school were enrolled in the study. The students were divided into 2 groups: students who received a teacher's lesson (group I) and those who did not receive a teacher's lesson (group II). Students in group II watched an animated cartoon and read a Manga comic in class. All students took the educational aids home, including the Manga comic and magnetic posters printed with the FAST message. Questionnaires on stroke knowledge were examined at baseline and immediately and 3 months after receiving the intervention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At 3 months after the intervention, a significant improvement in understanding the FAST message was confirmed in both the groups (group I, 85%; group II, 94%). Significant increases in the knowledge of risk factors were not observed in each group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our education materials include a Manga comic, an animated cartoon, and a magnetic poster, without an accompanying teacher's lesson can increase stroke awareness, including the FAST message, in junior high school students.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ohyama
authors.affiliation: Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan. Electronic address: cyokota@ncvc.go.jp.
authors.forename: Chiaki
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yokota
authors.affiliation: Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan.
authors.forename: Fumio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Miyashita
authors.affiliation: Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan.
authors.forename: Tatsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Amano
authors.affiliation: Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuteru
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.affiliation: Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuya
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shigehatake
authors.affiliation: Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Toyoda
authors.affiliation: Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Minematsu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001364:Awareness; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012574:Schools; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020521:Stroke / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: FAST; Manga; Stroke education; animated cartoon; comic