Feasibility and efficacy of an educational programme to increase awareness of stroke and heart attack in children

• Published in: Health education journal 2019-11, Vol.78 (7), p.812-823
• Main Authors: Mikulik, Robert, Vondráčková, Lucie, Pokorná, Hana, Svobodová, Veronika, Grecu, Andreea Madalina, Vítovec, Jiří, Neumann, Jiří, Suchý, Ondřej
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Children; Childrens health; Control Groups; Education; Educational programs; Efficacy; Electronic Learning; Experimental Groups; Feasibility; Feasibility studies; Foreign Countries; Health Education; Heart; Heart attacks; Heart Disorders; Instructional Effectiveness; Internet; Knowledge Level; Multimedia; Multimedia Instruction; Myocardial infarction; Outcomes of Education; Risk factors; Schools; Secondary School Students; Stroke; Students; Symptoms (Individual Disorders); Video Technology; Web Based Instruction
• ISSN: 0017-8969; 1748-8176
• DOI: 10.1177/0017896919849080

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of an innovative school stroke and heart attack educational programme for children. Design: Non-randomised controlled trial with intervention and control group conducted in set time periods. Results were compared among time periods in both groups and also between both groups. Setting: The study included children from 47 schools in Czech Republic. Children from 37 schools in one county (N = 2,436) participated as the target population. The control group involved 900 pupils from 10 schools in another county. Methods: The 45-minute multimedia Web-based video programme was designed to teach the appropriate response to stroke and heart attack symptoms. The target population received education and testing. The control population received only testing and no education. Results: Baseline knowledge assessment was identical across the target and the control populations. After education, knowledge in the target population had improved significantly. After 3 months, knowledge assessment scored 65% in the target population and 66% in the control population (intergroup difference p = .75). Conclusion: The educational programme increased response to stroke and heart attack symptoms compared to the control group, although in the target group comprehension improved only in short term when compared to the baseline. Knowledge for heart attack was better than for stroke.