The perception and knowledge of cardiovascular risk factors among medical students

Reiner, Željko and Sonicki, Zdenko and Tedeschi-Reiner, Eugenia (2012) The perception and knowledge of cardiovascular risk factors among medical students. Croatian Medical Journal, 53 (3). pp. 278-284. ISSN 0353-9504

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Abstract

AIM: To assess perceptions, knowledge, and awareness of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors among medical students (freshmen and graduating students). ----- METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional survey based on an anonymous self-administered questionnaire was conducted in 2008 on 443 medical students - 228 freshmen on their enrollment day and 214 students on the day of their final exam at the University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Croatia. ----- RESULTS: The perception and knowledge of some CVD risk factors, eg, dyslipidemia, arterial hypertension, and metabolic syndrome as well as of lipid-lowering therapy important for CVD prevention was significantly better among graduating students but was still not sufficient. Only 66% of graduating students reported that they would prescribe lipid-lowering therapy to high risk patients. Disappointingly, many graduating students were smoking (30.4%) and had low-awareness of obesity as an important CVD risk factor. ----- CONCLUSION: These results suggest an urgent need to improve medical students' knowledge of obesity and low physical activity as important CVD risk factors and of the methods for increasing low high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and for smoking cessation. All this provides a rationale for modifying the university core curriculum to include more information concerning these issues.

Abstract in Croatian

Percepcija i znanje o kardiovaskularnim rizičnim čimbenicima među studentima medicine ----- Cilj Odrediti percepciju, znanje i svjesnost o rizičnim čimbenicima za obolijevanje od kardiovaskularnih bolesti među studentima medicine prve i završne godine. ----- Postupci Proveli smo deskriptivno presječno istraživanje uz pomoć anonimnog upitnika za samo-procjenu na 443 studenta medicine – 228 studenata prve godine na dan njihovog upisa i 214 studenata na dan njihovog završnog ispita na Medicinskom fakultetu Sveučilišta u Zagrebu 2008. godine. ----- Rezultati Studenti završne godine imali su značajno bolju percepciju i znanje o nekim kardiovaskularnim rizičnim čimbenicima, npr. dislipidemijii, arterijskoj hipertenziji i metaboličkom sindromu, te potrebi korištenja hipolipemika, ali to znanje ipak nije bilo dovoljno. Samo 66% studenata završne godine izjavilo je da bi propisali hipolipemike pacijentima s visokim rizikom. Nažalost, mnogo studenata završne godine bili su pušači (30,4%) i imali su nisku svjesnost o pretilosti kao važnom rizičnom čimbeniku. ----- Zaključak Naši rezultati ukazuju na potrebu da se popravi znanje studenata medicine o pretilosti i nedovoljnoj fizičkoj aktivnosti kao važnim kardiovaskularnim rizičnim čimbenicima i o načinima povećanja unosa lipoprotein kolesterola visoke gustoće i prestanka pušenja. Ovo sve ukazuje da bi ova tema trebala biti zastupljenija u kurikulumu.

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