Heart disease: Lifestyle, knowledge, and perception among young Nigerian adults

Background: The proliferation of heart-unhealthy lifestyles may in part be responsible for the unabated scourge from heart disease. Assessments of knowledge and perception are key factors in curbing lifestyle-related diseases. Aims: The aim of the study is to determine the prevalence of heart-unhealthy lifestyles and its association with knowledge and perception of heart disease among young adults in Delta State, Nigeria. Settings and Design: A cross-sectional observational study conducted in Oghara, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: Three hundred healthy adults aged 18-35 years were recruited using the multistage sampling technique. The study instrument was a modified structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. Ethical approval was obtained before conducting the survey. Statistical Analysis Used: Obtained data were summarized and analyzed using SPSS version 22.0 software. Results: The response rate was 98% (294/300): 103 males and 191 females. The mean and median age of the respondents was 27 years. Majority of the respondents had at least 6 years of formal education. Heart-unhealthy lifestyles were prevalent: lack of exercise (71.4%), inadequate fruit intake (46.9%), alcohol consumption (26.5%), and tobacco smoking (19%). The mean knowledge score for heart disease was 39.49%. Using a score of 50% as the benchmark for good knowledge, 59% of the respondents had poor knowledge. Majority of the respondents did not perceive that they were at risk of heart disease. Conclusion: Heart-unhealthy lifestyles are common among young Nigerian adults. Knowledge of and self-perceived susceptibility to heart disease were poor in this study. There is a need for increased and refocused heart-health education at all ecological levels from early on in life.