Table 2. Knowledge about cardiovascular disease (CVD) among congregants and health committee members in churches in Accra, Ghana, 2010.
| Knowledge area | Correct responses (%) |
|
|---|---|---|
| Congregants (n = 167) | Health committee members (n = 12) | |
| CVD risks | ||
| 1.Heart disease can be prevented | 96 | 91 |
| 2. Cigarette smoking can cause heart disease and stroke | 97 | 100 |
| 3. There is greater risk for heart disease in the elderly | 75 | 73 |
| 4. People with high blood pressure should avoid salt in their diets | 77 | 82 |
| 5. If people quit smoking the risk of heart disease is reduced | 91 | 100 |
| 6. Salty food causes high blood pressure | 77 | 91 |
| 7. High blood pressure is a risk factor for heart disease | 83 | 82 |
| 8. Fatty foods do not increase blood cholesterol levels | 52 | 90 |
| 9. Eating more than 3 meals containing red meat per week is not good for your health | 64 | 27 |
| 10. Eating fruits and vegetables every day is beneficial | 98 | 100 |
| 11. Overweight people are more likely to have heart disease | 77 | 82 |
| 12. Regular exercise reduces the risk of heart disease | 96 | 100 |
| 13. Regular walking can reduce the risk of heart disease | 94 | 100 |
| 14. Stress and sadness increase the risk of heart disease | 88 | 91 |
| 15. Under stressful situations, blood pressure will increase | 91 | 82 |
| 18. Heavy alcohol use does not affect blood pressure | 61 | 82 |
| 19. High cholesterol is a risk factor for heart disease | 86 | 91 |
| 21. Diabetes is a risk factor for heart disease | 67 | 64 |
| 23. Heart disease in your family will increase your risk of heart disease | 50 | 55 |
| CVD symptoms | ||
| 24. Shortness of breath may be a sign of heart disease | 70 | 73 |
| 25. Feeling chest pain or discomfort can be a sign of heart disease | 63 | 55 |
| CVD prevention, control and treatment | ||
| 16. Controlling blood pressure reduces the risk of heart disease | 89 | 100 |
| 17. People with high blood pressure need to use blood pressure medicine for life | 54 | 46 |
| 20. People with high cholesterol despite diet and exercise need to take medication | 60 | 46 |
| 22. People with diabetes need to control their blood sugar | 95 | 91 |
| 26. People should only get their blood pressure checked if they have chest pain or headaches | 50 | 46 |
| 27. If you have high blood pressure taking a medicine for 1 month can cure you | 52 | 55 |
| Knowledge score, mean and SD | 76.09 (13.68) | 77.39 (14.06) |
SD, standard deviation.