Factors That Influence Personal Perceptions of the Risk of an Acute Myocardial Infarction

Abstract

Personal risk perceptions of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) affect people's preventive health behaviors as well as their beliefs during a heart attack episode. The authors investigated factors that are associated with personal risk perceptions of having an AMI. A random-digit-dial survey was conducted among 1294 respondents, aged 18 years or older, in 20 communities across the nation as part of the Rapid Early Action for Coronary Treatment (REACT) trial. Results of two mixed-model linear regression analyses suggested that worse perceived general health, more risk factors, and greater knowledge were associated with greater perception of AMI risk. The results also showed that women who answered, incorrectly, that heart disease is not the most common cause of death for women in the United States reported significantly lower risk perceptions than women who answered this question correctly. The findings in this study suggest that interventions need to target specific misconceptions regarding AMI risk.

Index Terms:

• acute myocardial infarction
• misconceptions
• risk perceptions

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Hendrika Meischke

Dr Meischke is an associate professor in the Department of Health Services, University of Washington, Seattle; Dr Setters is a senior scientist, Education Development Center, Newton, Massachusetts; Dr Robbins is an assistant research professor, Cancer Prevention Research Center, University of Rhode Island, Kingston; Dr Goff is an associate professor, Public Health Sciences and Internal Medicine, Bowman Gray School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Dr Daya is an associate professor of emergency medicine, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland; Dr Meshack is a project director, University of Texas Health Sciences Center, School of Public Health, Houston; Dr Taylor is the Director of Health Education Graduate Studies, Mississippi University for Women, Columbus; Dr Zapka is a professor with the University of Massachusetts, Department of Medicine, Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine, Worcester; and Ms Hand is a coordinator, National Heart Attack Alert Program of the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.