Evaluation of cardiovasculer diseases risk factors knowledge levels and healthy living behaviors of adult individuals applying to Ondokuz Mayis University Aziziye and Pelitkoy Education Family Health Center

AIM: This study aimed to evaluate adults' knowledge level on cardiovascular disease risk factors and healthy lifestyle behaviors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: It is a cross-sectional study. The data were collected by face-to-face interviews with individuals aged 18-65 who applied to Ondokuz Mayıs University Education and Family Health Centers between August and September 2022. The sociodemographic information form and Cardiovascular Diseases Risk Factors Knowledge Level (CARRIF-KL) Scale were used in the questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 366 people participated in the research. The mean age was 41.23±13.61 years, and 60.4% were women. 42.3% of the waist circumference was wide. According to BMI classification, 42.9% were overweight, and 21.9% were obese. 38.5% had a chronic disease, and 38.3% had a history of CVD in their first-degree relatives. CARRIF-KL scale knowledge scores of those who are healthcare workers (p<0.001), elderly individuals (p=0.002), those with a university or higher education level (p=0.001), those with a history of chronic disease (p=0.001), those who use regular medication (p=0.001), those who exercised (p=0.004), those who consumed whole wheat-bran-rye bread (p=0.023) and those who consumed more than five servings of fruit and vegetables per day (p=0.001) were significantly higher. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, it was determined that the knowledge levels of the participants about CVD risk factors differed by being a health worker, age, educational status, chronic disease history, exercise status, type of bread consumed, and daily fruit and vegetable consumption. Keywords: Cardiovascular, Risk factors, Knowledge, Healthy Living, Behavior