| Fifty middle to low-income adult clients of a rural family care center were surveyed in a descriptive correlational study in order to determine their abilities to identify the signs and symptoms of a stroke and their knowledge of stroke risk. Additionally, Pearson's Correlation Coefficient was used to ascertain whether the participants' level of knowledge was related to their actual stroke risk, as identified by the American Heart Association's Stroke Risk Tool. Descriptive analysis of the item responses revealed that the percentage of the sample correctly identifying individual signs and symptoms ranged from 44 to 77%. When actual stroke risk was correlated with knowledge of stroke risk and knowledge of stroke signs and symptoms, no relationship was found.;This sample's knowledge regarding stroke, representing a personal factor in Pender's (1996) Health Promotion Model, was low. Educational intervention is recommended to enhance overall health. |
