Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Stroke Among Hypertensive Patients in Selected Hospitals, Mogadishu: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background and aim: Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability globally, with hypertension identified as the main risk factor. Therefore, the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of hypertensive patients are crucial for the early recognition and timely intervention needed to prevent strokes and minimize their long-term complications. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding stroke among hypertensive patients.

Methods: The study used a cross-sectional design and enrolled 289 hypertensive patients. A consecutive sampling technique was employed to select the participants. Data were collected through an interviewer-administered questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS software (version 26). A significance level of 0.05 was established for the study.

Results: 70.6% of participants identified stroke as an interruption in blood flow to the brain. The majority of respondents (94.5%) identified hypertension and diabetes as risk factors for stroke. Sudden loss of vision or double vision is the most prominent indicator of stroke (75.8%). In terms of stroke complications, chronic headaches (89.3%) were widely recognized. Only 41.9% of the patients checked their blood pressure, and 37% took their medications regularly. The knowledge level significantly differed only with sex. However, significant differences were observed in the mean scores for attitudes based on age, education, and income, and in the practice mean score based on sex, education, employment status, and income. A weak positive correlation was found between patients' knowledge and attitude, but no significant correlation between knowledge and practice, or attitude and practice.

Conclusion: The study demonstrated that respondents had good knowledge about stroke but struggled to convert it into a positive attitude and practice. These findings suggest the need for targeted interventions to improve attitudes and practices towards stroke prevention.