Risk perception, as suggested by the Health Belief Model, is a key element in understanding how persons become motivated to change health behaviors.20 Many factors such as education, presence of disease-specific symptoms, media campaigns, physician or peer recommendations, socioeconomic variables, or cultural beliefs can influence the likelihood of behavioral change. This model can be used to study the primary prevention of stroke in that individual risk perception may modulate primary prevention measures such as blood pressure control, medication adherence, or behavioral and lifestyle changes. In assessment of our model, stroke knowledge of risk factors or warning signs did not predict perception of risk. The number of risk factors also did not correlate with risk perception. This suggests that risk perception is a subjective measure, which is not entirely modulated by stroke knowledge or actual risk.
Breast cancer campaigns targeted at women such as “Race for the Cure”21 and the pink ribbon campaign are examples of a successful education and outreach initiative that has increased risk perception. Women perceive breast cancer to be one of the largest health concerns they face today despite the fact that 6 times more women die of stroke and heart disease.1 Patients’ perception of high self-risk has been shown to be a reliable predictor of mammography screening rates.22 Most women do not perceive stroke or heart disease to be a major health concern and report that they are not well informed about their risk.15 The American Heart Association’s recent campaign “Go Red for Heart Disease” may serve as a vehicle to increase risk perception about heart disease and stroke.