Public knowledge and perception of heart disease: A cross-sectional study of two communities in Delta State, Nigeria

Background: Knowledge gaps and misperception of heart disease and its risk factors are significant roadblocks to effective prevention and control of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). This study aims to assess the knowledge and perception of heart disease and its risk factors among adults in Delta State, Nigeria. Method: Cross-sectional study of adults recruited from Jesse and Warri, Delta State, Nigeria. The study questionnaire was adapted from the heart disease fact questionnaire (HDFQ). Respondents with knowledge scores <50%, 50–69.9%, and ≥70% were assigned poor, moderate, and good knowledge, respectively. Ethical approval was obtained from the DELSUTH Health Research Ethics Committee. Result: Eight hundred and sixty-six adults with a mean age of 42.6 years were recruited for the study. Majority (56.0%) of the respondents were females and urban dwellers. Knowledge score ranged between 0.0% and 95.7% with a mean score of 39.8(±22.5) %. Majority (65.1%) had poor knowledge of heart disease. Knowledge of heart disease was significantly associated with place of residence [OR (95%CI) = 0.544 (0.408–0.727); P < 0.001], age group [OR (95%CI) = 0.437 (0.314–0.607); P < 0.001], duration of formal education [OR (95%CI) = 3.805 (2.755–5.255); P < 0.001] but not sex (P = 0.871). Majority (75.2%) perceived heart disease to be an extremely serious condition. However, 74.7% of the respondents were not concerned at all about getting heart disease. Conclusion: Although majority of the respondents in this study perceived that heart disease was a serious condition, the overall knowledge of heart disease was poor. There is need to scale-up heart health education among the general populace in Nigeria.