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Prevalence of Stroke Survivors in Rural South Africa
- Source :
- Stroke. 35:627-632
- Publication Year :
- 2004
- Publisher :
- Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health), 2004.
-
Abstract
- Background and Purpose— The importance of stroke in low-income regions such as sub-Saharan Africa has recently been emphasized. However, little is known about the burden of stroke in sub-Saharan Africa. We investigated the prevalence of stroke survivors in the Agincourt Health and Population Unit, a demographic surveillance site in the rural northeast of South Africa. Methods— Census workers asked household informants 2 screening questions for stroke during the annual census. If either question was answered positively, a clinician visited individuals aged ≥15 years to confirm the likely diagnosis of stroke. We performed a detailed assessment and defined stroke according to the World Health Organization criteria. Results— A total of 42 378 individuals were aged ≥15 years. There were 982 positive responses to the questionnaire, and we examined 724 individuals (74%). We identified 103 strokes (crude prevalence, 243/100 000). After adjustment for those we did not examine, the prevalence was 300/100 000 (95% CI, 250 to 357). Sixty-six percent of stroke survivors needed help with at least 1 activity of daily living (Segi age-standardized prevalence, 200/100 000). Conclusions— Stroke prevalence in rural South Africa is higher than previously documented in Africa but lower than in high-income countries. However, the prevalence of stroke survivors requiring help with at least 1 activity of daily living is already at high-income country levels. South Africa suffers from a huge burden of HIV/AIDS and diseases of poverty and violence and now faces the challenge of adapting its health systems to face the coming epidemic of vascular disease.
- Subjects :
- Adult
Male
Rural Population
Activities of daily living
Adolescent
Diseases of poverty
Population
MEDLINE
Unit (housing)
South Africa
Age Distribution
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)
Prevalence
medicine
Humans
Mass Screening
Survivors
Sex Distribution
education
Poverty
Stroke
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Advanced and Specialized Nursing
education.field_of_study
business.industry
Middle Aged
Census
medicine.disease
Population Surveillance
Optometry
Female
Neurology (clinical)
Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine
business
Demography
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 15244628 and 00392499
- Volume :
- 35
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Stroke
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....51fe17ddf96efdd09119565be4e309fc