Association Between Sociodemographic Determinants and Disparities in Stroke Symptom Awareness Among US Young Adults. Issue 12 (December 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mszar, Reed; Mahajan, Shiwani; Valero-Elizondo, Javier; Yahya, Tamer; Sharma, Richa; Grandhi, Gowtham R.; Khera, Rohan; Virani, Salim S.; Lichtman, Judith; Khan, Safi U.; Cainzos-Achirica, Miguel; Vahidy, Farhaan S.; Krumholz, Harlan M.; Nasir, Khurram
• Is Part Of: Stroke. Volume 51:Issue 12(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-12
• Subjects: awareness -- disparities -- population -- risk factors -- social determinants of health -- young adult; Cerebrovascular disease -- Periodicals; Cerebral circulation -- Periodicals; 616.81
• DOI: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.120.031137
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0039-2499

Abstract

Abstract : Background and Purpose: Despite declining stroke rates in the general population, stroke incidence and hospitalizations are rising among younger individuals. Awareness of and prompt response to stroke symptoms are crucial components of a timely diagnosis and disease management. We assessed awareness of stroke symptoms and response to a perceived stroke among young adults in the United States. Methods: Using data from the 2017 National Health Interview Survey, we assessed awareness of 5 common stroke symptoms and the knowledge of planned response (ie, calling emergency medical services) among young adults (<45 years) across diverse sociodemographic groups. Common stroke symptoms included: (1) numbness of face/arm/leg, (2) confusion/trouble speaking, (3) difficulty walking/dizziness/loss of balance, (4) trouble seeing in one/both eyes, and (5) severe headache. Results: Our study population included 24 769 adults, of which 9844 (39.7%) were young adults who were included in our primary analysis, and represented 107.2 million US young adults (mean age 31.3 [±7.5] years, 50.6% women, and 62.2% non-Hispanic White). Overall, 2718 young adults (28.9%) were not aware of all 5 stroke symptoms, whereas 242 individuals (2.7%; representing 2.9 million young adults in the United States) were not aware of a single symptom. After adjusting for confounders, Hispanic ethnicity (odds ratio, 1.96 [95% CI, 1.17–3.28]), non-US born immigration status (odds ratio, 2.02 [95% CI, 1.31–3.11]), and lower education level (odds ratio, 2.77 [95% CI, 1.76–4.35]), were significantly associated with lack of symptom awareness. Individuals with 5 high-risk characteristics (non-White, non-US born, low income, uninsured, and high school educated or lower) had nearly a 4-fold higher odds of not being aware of all symptoms (odds ratio, 3.70 [95% CI, 2.43–5.62]). Conclusions: Based on data from the National Health Interview Survey, a large proportion of young adults may not be aware of stroke symptoms. Certain sociodemographic subgroups with decreased awareness may benefit from focused public health interventions. Abstract : Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text.