74 Exploring stroke awareness in an ethnic minority population: the impact of language and social support

Abstract PTH 2: Determinants of Health Disease and Interventions 2, B307 (FCSH), September 3, 2025, 15:45 - 16:39 Aims Globally, stroke is a significant health burden. Migrants face higher risk of stroke and have lower chances of timely hospital admission than the general population, and stroke awareness is a key factor for timely treatment. Overall stroke awareness is low in the general population and may be even lower among individuals with migrant background. Although stroke awareness campaigns in Denmark and elsewhere have been implemented, such initiatives primarily target the majority population. In Denmark, there is limited understanding of stroke awareness levels among ethnic minority populations. This study aimed to explore the impact of societal, personal and situational factors on stroke awareness within this groups. Methods This qualitative study involved six focus group discussions and two semi-structured interviews with individuals from three social housing areas that house a large proportion of ethnic minority groups (N = 37). The majority of participants were of Turkish, Pakistani and Indian origin. Data were analyzed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis guided by the concept of Health Literacy to identify themes related to stroke awareness. Analysis The analysis generated five key themes: ‘Proximal and distal factors influencing stroke awareness’, ‘Language barrier: Who calls for help?’, ‘Language barrier: Accessing information’, ‘Challenges in symptom recognition and decision-making’ and ‘Health and prevention awareness’. Overall, the themes revealed generally low levels of stroke awareness among participants. Sociocultural background, language barriers, and levels of social support significantly influenced the ability to access and apply relevant health information and to contact emergency medical services. While general awareness of health and risk factors was high, recognizing stroke symptoms and acting on them were a challenge due to lack of knowledge and confidence to act. Conclusion Our study highlights the need for more socioculturally and linguistically accessible stroke awareness campaigns, to improve early recognition of stroke symptoms and ensure timely intervention.