University students’ knowledge level about risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, their healthy life awareness, and the influencing factors

Abstract

Aims: The aim of this study was to determine university students’ level of knowledge about risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, their healthy life awareness, and other influencing factors. Methods: The study sample consisted of 991 students who were studying at the central campus of Gümüşhane University between April 1, 2021 and June 30, 2021 and agreed to participate in the study. Data were collected with a personal information form and utilized the Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors Knowledge Level (CARRF-KL) scale and Healthy Life Awareness scale. Results: The mean age of the participants was 21.75 ± 0.71 years. It was observed that women’s knowledge level about risk factors for cardiovascular disease was significantly higher than that of their male counterparts. This knowledge level was significantly higher in those who did not have harmful habits than those who did. As their age increased, the students’ healthy life awareness related to socialization also increased. The more students advanced in university, the more their awareness about healthy life increased. The presence of unhealthy habits, the score of the healthy life awareness scale, and the presence of chronic diseases had a significant effect on the students’ assessment of their health in general. Conclusion: Consequently, it was determined that income status had a very significant effect on the Healthy Life Awareness Scale score. Gender had a very significant effect on the knowledge level about risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.