Effectiveness of health education interventions on knowledge of stroke prevention among outpatient hypertensive patients at Ha Dong general Hospital

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a health education intervention in improving stroke prevention knowledge among outpatients with hypertension at Ha Dong General Hospital. Methods: A single-group pretest–posttest study was conducted among 92 outpatients with hypertension at Ha Dong General Hospital between February and May 2025. Data were collected using a researcher-developed questionnaire assessing stroke prevention knowledge, which demonstrated a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.75 during pilot testing. Knowledge was assessed at baseline, immediately after the intervention, and at a 1-month follow-up. Results: The mean overall stroke prevention knowledge score increased from 29.34 ± 2.88 at baseline to 36.71 ± 1.11 immediately after the intervention and remained at 36.14 ± 2.03 at the 1-month follow-up. Scores at both post-intervention assessments were significantly higher than at baseline (p = 0.001). The proportion of patients with good overall stroke prevention knowledge increased from 64.1% at baseline to 100% immediately after the intervention and remained at 100% at the 1-month follow-up. Conclusion: The health education intervention was associated with significant improvements in stroke prevention knowledge among outpatients with hypertension. These findings suggest the potential value of integrating structured stroke prevention education into routine outpatient nursing care. Follow-up education and knowledge reinforcement may help sustain these improvements.