Public awareness of cardiovascular disease and its risk factors in Palestine: a cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading global cause of mortality, projected to account for 23.3 million deaths annually by 2030, presenting a significant public health burden. While largely preventable through addressing modifiable risk factors, low-resource settings like Palestine face a disproportionate CVD burden. Public awareness of CVD risk factors and symptoms is therefore essential for mitigating this burden. This study aimed to assess general knowledge of CVD among Palestinians and identify factors influencing awareness to inform community health programs. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 410 Palestinian in the West Bank from March to May 2024. Participants were recruited from ten cities, and a validated questionnaire adapted from a prior study was used. The survey collected demographic data, clinical characteristics, and knowledge of CVD risk factors and symptoms as well as attitudes towards prevention services. R Statistical Software was used for data analysis which included descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and logistic regression to explore the relationships between demographic factors and CVD knowledge, whereby a p-value of ≤ 0.05 was set up as a significance level. RESULTS: Among the 410 participants 45% of participants reported no physical activity, 40% of the respondents reported that their lifestyle was either highly stressful or stressful. CVD knowledge varied, with 67% identifying four or more CVD types, 35% knowing all five heart attack symptoms, and 49% recognizing stroke symptoms. Additionally, 66% of the participants identified key CVD risk factors. Over 75% of the participants expressed interest in using prevention services, such as blood pressure measurement (84%) and smoking cessation counseling (75%) at local pharmacies. CONCLUSION: This study highlights moderate awareness of cardiovascular health among adults in the West Bank but identifies significant knowledge gaps regarding key risk factors such as hypertension, smoking, and inactivity. The prevalence of these modifiable risk factors underscores the need for targeted public health intervention. Promoting education and healthier lifestyle choices could reduce cardiovascular disease risks in the West Bank, warranting further research to assess the effectiveness of these efforts and explore sociocultural barriers to improved awareness.