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November 6, 2023Journal of Public HealthOpen Access

Cardiovascular risk knowledge and related behaviors among youths: a cross-sectional study in a sample of Italian undergraduates

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Key result

Nearly 90% of Italian undergraduates correctly identified common cardiovascular risk factors, but this knowledge was not correlated with the adoption of healthy behaviors.

Why the study?

People's awareness and risk perception regarding individual and environmental cardiovascular risk factors is fundamental for prevention, motivating analysis of undergraduate knowledge and related health behaviors.

Does knowledge of cardiovascular risk factors correlate with the adoption of health-related behaviors among Italian undergraduates?

Population

744 students from three Italian universities

Design

Cross-sectional study

Authors

VCVittoria CammalleriSZStefano ZanniFGFrancesca Gallé

Discussion

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Member takes

Overview

No link between CV risk knowledge and behaviors in undergraduates; hypothesis-generating and should not yet change practice.

Key Points

  • The aim is to assess knowledge about cardiovascular risk factors among undergraduates and explore its relation to health behaviors.
  • Web-based questionnaire administered to undergraduates from three Italian universities in 2021-2022.
  • Collected data on socio-demographic and behavioral characteristics, along with knowledge of cardiovascular risk factors.
  • 744 students participated, with 90% correctly identifying common cardiovascular risk factors.
  • Higher knowledge levels were linked to older age and enrollment in healthcare-related degree courses.
  • No correlation was found between knowledge of risk factors and adoption of healthy behaviors.

Study Design

Type

Cross-Sectional (n=744)

Multicenter

Yes

Structured PICO

Does knowledge of cardiovascular risk factors correlate with the adoption of health-related behaviors among Italian undergraduates?

P
Population
744 undergraduate students from three Italian universities, with a mean age of 23.9 years and 62.5% female, assessed for their knowledge of cardiovascular risk factors and related behaviors.
E
Exposure
Web-based questionnaire assessing knowledge of cardiovascular risk factors and health-related behaviors
O
Outcome
Knowledge of cardiovascular risk factors and its association with the adoption of health-related behaviorspatient reported

Despite high awareness of common cardiovascular risk factors among Italian undergraduates, this knowledge does not translate into the adoption of healthy behaviors.

Limitations

  • The sample cannot be considered representative of the undergraduates' population examined due to the sampling procedure.
  • Participants' characteristics were not assessed objectively, which could have led to inaccurate information.
  • Some aspects which could be related with cardiovascular risk awareness were not explored to contain the length of the questionnaire.

Cite This Study

Cammalleri et al. (2023) conducted a cross-sectional in Cardiovascular risk knowledge (n=744). Knowledge of cardiovascular risk factors was evaluated on Correct identification of factors associated with cardiovascular risk and its correlation with health-related behaviors. Nearly 90% of Italian undergraduates correctly identified common cardiovascular risk factors, but this knowledge was not correlated with the adoption of healthy behaviors.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a793e05fbd9051d3b0da5cahttps://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-023-02133-7
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Also Consider

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  1. 1Cardiovascular risk factors among college students: Knowledge, perception, and risk assessment2016 · 48 citations
  2. 2Knowledge of cardiovascular disease in Turkish undergraduate nursing students2014 · 22 citations
  3. 3A Brief Review of Cardiovascular Diseases, Associated Risk Factors and Current Treatment Regimes2019 · 491 citations
  4. 4Cardiovascular disease burden: Italian and global perspectives2021 · 92 citations
  5. 5The perception and knowledge of cardiovascular risk factors among medical students2012 · 52 citations