Objective:

To assess for gaps within stroke education and evaluate the utility of a stroke outreach initiative in the Nashville AAPI community.

Background:

Prior studies demonstrate an increased prevalence of primary intracranial hemorrhage with lengthened hospital stays within the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) population. AAPI patients who experience acute ischemic strokes may be less likely to receive intravenous thrombolytic therapy despite presenting with strokes of greater severity. Yet, minimal research has been conducted to explore why these disparities exist.

Design/Methods:

A stroke outreach initiative was designed to provide education on stroke symptoms using the FAST acronym, risk factors, and the importance of regular primary care visits. Participants also received stroke educational materials in English, Simplified Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or Vietnamese from reliable sources (e.g., the American Heart Association, MedlinePlus). Pre- and post-education surveys assessed knowledge of stroke symptoms and primary stroke prevention. Proportional analysis and non-parametric analysis of paired comparisons (McNemar test) are reported.

Results:

Twenty-two API community members at an AAPI festival in Nashville, TN participated in the initiative. Pre-initiative surveys revealed 8/22 (36%) participants were unable to identify stroke symptoms, 9/22 (40%) participants did not know what actions to take if someone is experiencing a stroke, and 10/22 (45%) participants did not have yearly primary care visits. Post-initiative surveys showed a statistically significant improvement (p<0.05) where 21/22 (95%) participants correctly reported two of the FAST symptoms. 8/8 (100%) participants who previously were unable to identify stroke symptoms identified at least two symptoms post-initiative. All participants found this initiative beneficial.

Conclusions:

An education initiative reviewing FAST symptoms, stroke risk factors, and primary stroke prevention can improve the quality of stroke education in the Nashville AAPI population. Additional instruction and increased frequency of the initiative may improve knowledge retention and encourage stroke awareness and primary stroke prevention to a wider AAPI audience.