Knowledge and Awareness of Cardiovascular Risk Factors among Young Adults in Peshawar

Introduction: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) remain a leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally, with significant risk factors being modifiable through lifestyle changes.Knowledge and awareness of these risk factors are critical, particularly among young adults, who can adopt preventive measures to reduce their long-term risk.This study aimed to assess the level of knowledge and awareness of CVD risk factors among young adults in Peshawar, Pakistan and to identify gaps in understanding less commonly recognized factors. Methods:A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Peshawar with a sample size of 1,280 participants, aged 19-35 years.Data were collected using a standardized and validated Cardiovascular Disease Risk Knowledge Questionnaire (CVD-RKQ), which assessed knowledge of traditional risk factors (e.g., smoking, hypertension, hyperlipidemia) and awareness of preventive lifestyle measures (e.g., diet, exercise, stress management).SPSS version 20 was used for statistical analysis.Frequencies, percentages and chi-square tests were applied to find associations between demographic factors and knowledge levels.Results: Out of the 1,280 participants, 47% were male and 53% were female.Overall, 64% of participants demonstrated moderate knowledge of cardiovascular risk factors, with 18% having high knowledge and 18% showing poor understanding.Smoking (85%), high blood pressure (77%) and high cholesterol (70%) were the most recognized risk factors.However, less commonly acknowledged factors like family history (39%), diabetes (44%) and stress (48%) had lower awareness rates.A significant association (p < 0.05) was found between higher education levels and better knowledge of CVD risk factors. Discussion:The study highlights that while young adults in Peshawar possess a reasonable understanding of major CVD risk factors, critical gaps remain in recognizing the role of less commonly known factors, such as family history and diabetes.These