World Stroke Day in Taiwan: Raising Public Awareness of Stroke

Background World Stroke Day (WSD) is an international campaign for raising stroke awareness according to the WSD proclamation. We investigated whether the 2012 WSD campaign organized in Taiwan fulfilled the requirements of the target population and improved stroke literacy among the attendees. Method A questionnaire survey regarding the 2012 WSD Taiwan campaign was administered by our trained interviewers to the attendees. Results In total, 350 attendees participated in the survey, and only 57.89% of the attendees identified the brain as the main damaged organ in stroke. Most attendees recognized ischemic stroke (85.94%) as a stroke type and hypertension (47%) as a common risk factor. The three most commonly recognized stroke symptoms were limb weakness, slurred speech, and facial weakness. Most attendees could seek medical help and call emergency services if a stroke occurred. Regarding the main themes, only 56.16% and 19.76% of the attendees knew about golden hours 123 and the FAST (Facial drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulties, Time) mnemonic, respectively, prior to the campaign. Furthermore, 50.44% of the attendees knew that thrombolytic therapy is the treatment of choice for stroke, and 58.06% and 40.32% of the attendees were partially and completely satisfied with the campaign, respectively. Only 20 attendees showed good stroke literacy. Conclusion When preparing for future WSD campaigns, the organizing committee must perform a detailed assessment to understand target population requirements and design more appropriate events. For promoting the WSD campaigns, proficient advertising is necessary for attracting attendees and increasing their willingness to participate.