Older adults' knowledge and attitudes about acute coronarysyndrome symptoms

Özöztürk, A., Older Adults' Knowledge and Attitudes About Acute Coronary Syndrome Symptoms, Hacettepe University, Institute of Health Sciences, Internal Diseases Medical Nursing Program, Master's Thesis, Ankara, 2018. This descriptive study was conducted to determine older adults' knowledge and attitudes about acute coronary syndrome symptoms. Study sample consisted of 117 voluntary patients over 65 years of age with the diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome at the Coronary Intensive Care Unit and Cardiology Department of the Ankara Baskent University Hospital of Ankara University. Data were collected with questionnaire, and the Acute Coronary Syndrome Response Index consisting of knowledge, attitude and belief dimensions. Increase in knowledge dimension scores indicate higher levels of knowledge whereas attitude dimension measures appropriate development of behavior in response to symptoms of acute coronary syndrome. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews conducted between June and September, 2017. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Mann Whitney U and Kruskal Wallis tests. The mean age of participants was 69.82 ± 4.71, 59.8% were men, 29.9% had an undergraduate degree and 72.6% were unemployed. Participants' mean scores of knowledge and attitude dimensions were 14.7 ± 2.17 (0-21) and 12.0 ± 3.28 (5-20) respectively. Results showed that participants had a moderate level of knowledge about acute coronary syndrome and negative attitudes towards its symptoms. Based on these results, it can be recommended that health professionals should structure education programs to raise the awareness about acute coronary syndrome among elderly and supportive nursing care for elderly patients to develop positive attitudes. Keywords: Acute coronary syndrome, attitude, elderly patient, knowledge