The Correlation Between Education Levels and Lifestyles of Patients Admitted Cardiology Clinics: A Subgroup Analysis of Medlife-TR Study

Objectives: The lifestyle, dietary habits, and cardiovascular (CV) risk perception of patients with CV risk factors and/or diseases in Turkish population may vary with education.We aimed to reveal the relationship between education level and lifestyles in patients who participated in the Medications and Lifestyles of Patients with Cardiovascular Risk Factors and/ or Diseases in Turkish Population (MedLife-TR) study. Materials and Methods:This study was conducted between November 2018 and March 2019 with 2793 patients.The male gender ratio was 47.91%, and the female gender ratio was 52.09%.The participants first completed a selfadministered questionnaire in four sections: baseline characteristics, awareness of CV risk factors and their CV risk levels, Abstract Research Article Kış et al. The Correlation Between Education Levels and Lifestyles of Patients Admitted Cardiology Clinics94 lifestyle habits (exercise, diet, eating….) and use of drugs.This was a multicenter, national and observational study that included 27 centers in Turkey.Fisher-Freeman-Halton test was used for comparison of qualitative data.A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results:According to the education level of patients, CV risk perception and eating habits vary as education level increases.The ratio of patients to exercise regularly was low.But as the level of education increases, the rate of regular exercise increases (p<0.001).The rate of using herbal products (p=0.086)or vitamins (p=0.384) did not change as the level of education increased.The university-level group stated that smoking was the highest risk factor for CV disease (28.33%).However, the other groups, especially the uneducated group (42.92%) think that hypertension is the most risk factor for CV diseases.The consumption of fast-food products such as hamburgers, pizza, and fries increased as the education level increased.The rate of skipping breakfast (17.69%) was higher in the university-level group than the other groups (p<0.001).Conclusion: Statistically significant differences were observed between education level and lifestyle of patients with CV risk factors and/or diseases.As the education level increases, the rate of skipping breakfast and the consumption of fast-food products increase; however, the rate of regular exercise and diet increases.