The National
Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
announces effort to promote stroke awareness in
the Hispanic community
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders
and Stroke (NINDS), a component of the National
Institutes of Health (NIH), announced the launch
of a new community education program, which
broadens the Institute’s national stroke
education campaign
Know Stroke.
Know the Signs. Act in Time. to
promote stroke awareness among Hispanics in the
United States.
The program’s key component is a toolkit,
Ataque cerebral:
conozca los síntomas y actúe a tiempo,
that can be used by
promotores de
salud (lay health educators) in
charlas
(health talks) to educate their communities
about the signs of stroke and the importance of
calling 911 promptly to receive appropriate
medical treatment.
Prompt treatment can dramatically decrease or
even prevent long-term disabilities caused by a
stroke.
“Some people do not recognize stroke as a
medical emergency and may not feel comfortable
calling 911 due to possible perceived language
barriers,” said José G. Merino, M.D., staff
clinician in the Section of Stroke Diagnostics
and Therapeutics at NINDS. “It is important that
Hispanics know how to recognize the signs of
stroke and feel confident saying only ‘stroke’
when calling 911 to receive immediate medical
treatment.”
Stroke is the third leading cause of death
and one of the leading causes of adult,
long-term disability in the United States.
Each year, about 700,000 people have a new
or recurrent stroke. Hispanics have a higher
rate of risk factors that increase the
likelihood of stroke. These include
diabetes, excessive weight, high blood
pressure, and cigarette smoking.
Many people do not know the symptoms or what to
do when they witness someone having a stroke.
The warning signs of stroke are:
·
Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or
leg, especially on one side of the body
·
Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or
understanding
·
Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
·
Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of
balance or coordination
·
Sudden, severe headache with no known cause
·
Call 911 if you see or have ANY of these
symptoms.
As part of the critical push to raise stroke
awareness in Hispanic communities, NINDS,
through a partnership with the National Council
of La Raza (NCLR), conducted a pilot training
with the toolkits for
promotores de
salud and outreach workers. With the
recent completion of the training, NINDS has set
the foundation for broader educational outreach
that will expand to other cities in the coming
months.
NINDS is also working with other national
organizations, including the National Alliance
for Hispanic Health (NAHH), to disseminate
stroke information through health educators and
community outreach workers in local communities
across the country.
“We are pleased to be working with prominent
organizations that are as committed to improving
the health and well-being of Hispanics as we
are. They are vital to expand the reach of the
Know Stroke
campaign to Hispanics and represent a critical
channel for us to bring the messages of the
campaign to key community leaders and
educators,” said Dr. Merino.
In developing the toolkit, NCLR conducted
audience research with focus groups across the
country that provided valuable insights about
Hispanics’ knowledge, awareness, and attitudes
related to stroke. Components of the toolkit
include: a video with testimonies from people
who have successfully recovered from stroke due
to their prompt action and information from a
medical expert; a flipchart that complements the
video, and brochures that capture key messages
for charlas
participants to take home and share with others.
For more information about the toolkit or other
Know Stroke
campaign materials, contact NINDS at
1-800-352-9424 (Spanish-speaking specialists are
available to assist you), or visit
www.ninds.nih.gov/stroke. Also, for a full
listing of Spanish-language publications, visit
www.ninds.nih.gov/spanish.
NINDS, a component of the National Institutes of
Health (NIH) within the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, is the nation’s
primary supporter of basic, translational, and
clinical research on the brain and nervous
system. NINDS aims to reduce the burden of
neurological disease among all Americans. Go to
www.ninds.nih.gov for more information.