Publication:

Knowledge, attitudes and practices among patients with coronary artery disease in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Background Bangladesh ranks highest among other Southeast Asian countries regarding risk factors for the number one cause of death worldwide: heart disease. Low income citizens tend to have less awareness and understanding about coronary artery disease (CAD) due to a number of socioeconomic barriers. There is a need to assess knowledge and perception about CAD in order to develop baseline data for preventative programs.

Methods This cross sectional survey assessed knowledge, attitudes, and health-seeking practices (KAP) toward CAD among 222 Bangladeshi patients. The 40-point KAP surveys were completed based on systematic random sampling from a government cardiovascular hospital representing a lower income population in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Results The mean KAP score was 21.45±5.83 with a total possible score being 40. Only 5.86% of the sample was able to demonstrate a high level of proficiency. Men had more knowledge (t (1.962) = 1.334, P = 0.051), but women demonstrated more health-seeking behaviors with stronger statistical significance (t (-2.135) = -0.407, P = 0.034). Several significant chi-square relationships were found between socioeconomic status (SES) and KAP scores.

Conclusions This study demonstrated selective lapses in CAD knowledge, attitude, and practice among Bangladeshi patients with low SES. Future preventative educational interventions would benefit by targeting the deficiencies in KAP revealed in this study.