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.
Cross-Sectional (n=744)
Yes
Although Italian undergraduates generally recognize traditional cardiovascular risk factors, their awareness of environmental and non-traditional factors is low and knowledge does not correlate with healthier lifestyle behaviors, underscoring the need for targeted primary prevention educational programs.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
No link between CV risk knowledge and behaviors in undergraduates; hypothesis-generating and should not yet change practice.
Aim A great number of individual and environmental risk factors have been identified for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). In the perspective of CVD prevention, people’s awareness and risk perception about these factors is fundamental. This cross-sectional study was performed to analyse the undergraduates’ knowledge of cardiovascular risk factors and to highlight possible associations between knowledge and adoption of health-related behaviors. Subject and methods During the years 2021 and 2022, a web-based questionnaire was administered to students from three Italian universities in order to collect their socio-demographic and behavioral characteristics and assess knowledge about a set of factors related with CVDs. Results A total of 744 students (mean age 23.9±5.4, 62.5% F) participated in the survey. Nearly 90% of the sample identified correctly the most common factors associated with CVDs, while lower proportions identified the association with the remaining proposed factors, especially the environmental ones. Better knowledge was mainly associated with greater age and attendance of a healthcare-related degree course. No correlations were found between knowledge and healthy behaviors. Conclusion Information programs about CVD risk and how it can be controlled should be offered to this target population.
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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.
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