How effective are "community" stroke screening programs at improving stroke knowledge and prevention practices? Results of a 3-month follow-up study

Background and Purpose-Community stroke screening is a commonly used prevention strategy to identify and educate those at risk. Although the goal of this approach is to reduce the overall occurrence of stroke, its long-term benefit remains unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine whether attendance of a stroke screening changes knowledge or prevention practices in persons at risk for stroke 3 months later. Methods-A stroke screening event was held following the National Stroke Association guidelines, with health screening, counseling, and education. Knowledge about stroke was measured by a questionnaire before and after the event. At 3 months, attendees identified at risk for stroke were contacted by telephone to determine their retained knowledge and any specific actions taken as a result of the health counseling. Results-At 3 months, 78 persons were contacted. Knowledge of stroke warning signs increased from 59% to 94% after screening but decreased to 77% at 3 months. At 3 months, 73% had done nothing to change their health practices. Conclusions-Community stroke screening has modest effects on health behavior, knowledge of stroke risk factors, and warning signs.