POPULATION KNOWLEDGE ABOUT STROKE: A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

Introduction: Stroke can be defined as the sudden onset of neurological deficit caused by ischemia or hemorrhage in the central nervous system. It is one of the leading causes of death in Brazilians and the leading cause of disability worldwide. Given the importance of recognizing this condition, the Cincinnati Scale was created to assess impairment of smile, strength, and speech, aiming to identify stroke and optimize care. Unfortunately, general knowledge about stroke, its warning signs, and risk factors remains insufficient, placing victims of this disease at greater risk of developing sequelae due to delays in emergency care. Objective: To determine whether awareness-raising interventions influence the population's level of knowledge regarding risk factors, prevention, and identification of early signs and symptoms of stroke. Methodology: This is a systematic literature review based on the MEDLINE, Public Medline (PubMed), Cochrane Library, and Scielo platforms. The search for articles was conducted during July 2023. Clinical trials and quasi-experimental studies conducted between 2013 and 2023, with a sample of patients aged ≥ 18 years, whose intervention was stroke awareness and the outcome was stroke knowledge level, were included. Studies with incomplete texts and those that did not use scales to measure population knowledge were excluded. Results: A total of 990 records were found based on the cross-descriptors "stroke AND awareness AND knowledge AND diagnosis." Subsequently, the titles and abstracts were read in search of eligible articles that met the inclusion criteria, resulting in seven clinical trials, of which six were included in the systematic review. Outcomes included total number of risk factors correctly named, change in stroke knowledge score (SKS), emergency medical service calls, stroke and heart attack awareness based on change in mean test score, change in correct 911 calls, and post-intervention knowledge assessment. Conclusion: The results of this systematic review suggest that awareness-raising interventions influence the population's level of knowledge regarding risk factors, prevention, and identification of early signs and symptoms of stroke and should be implemented as strategies to mitigate delays in care and the consequent development of sequelae in stroke patients.