Open AccessCardiovascular Diseases Healthy Diet Related Knowledge among a Sample of the General Population in Egypt
Author(s) -
Marwa M. Zein,
Ahmed Taher Mahmoud,
Ahmed Sallam El Hawary,
Nelly Hegazy
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
open access macedonian journal of medical sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.288
H-Index - 17
ISSN - 1857-9655
DOI - 10.3889/oamjms.2021.7541
Subject(s) - medicine , interquartile range , cross sectional study , cardiovascular health , environmental health , gerontology , population , computer assisted web interviewing , healthy diet , family medicine , disease , surgery , pathology , chemistry , food science , marketing , business
BACKGROUND: Little is known about the extent of Egyptians’ awareness regarding the relationship between nutrition and cardiovascular health.AIM: This study seeks to evaluate people’s awareness through an online cross-sectional survey to determine the knowledge gaps.METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted through an online survey using a convenience sampling technique. The participation required being an adult Egyptian (≥18 years old). A pre-tested electronic-questionnaire included three sections: Socio-demographic data, a self-reported history of chronic and cardiac diseases, and 15 questions addressing dietary risk factors and protective factors. Six hundred and thirty-two participants completed the questionnaire.RESULTS: The mean age was 28 ± 8 years. More than 80% of the participants were males. Of 632 participants, 233 had poor awareness. The median knowledge percent score was 62 with interquartile range (52, 71). About 85.4% of the participants were ready to change their eating habits and follow a healthy diet to maintain their health. The participants were interested in knowing more about healthy food and how to prepare healthy balanced meals (71.7% and 62.2%, respectively). Females, university-educated, employed, and Upper Egypt residents demonstrated deep awareness (p-value = 0.02, 0.011, 0.05, and 0.012, respectively). Intriguingly, friends and social media were the primary sources of nutritional knowledge.CONCLUSION: The participants’ knowledge is poor regarding the relation between nutrition and cardiovascular health. This study emphasizes the urgent need to raise public awareness as a precaution against cardiovascular diseases.