Determinants of Awareness of Early Symptoms of Myocardial Infarction - 2024 Community Health Survey

This study aimed to assess the level of awareness regarding early symptoms of myocardial infarction among Korean adults and to identify influencing socio-demographic and health behavior factors. Using data from the 2024 Korea Community Health Survey, a cross-sectional analysis was conducted on 227,668 respondents. Key variables included sex, age, income, education, occupation, smoking, alcohol use, subjective health status, and chronic disease history. Awareness was defined as correctly identifying all five major symptoms of myocardial infarction, and chi-square tests and binary logistic regression were used for analysis. Overall, 51.8% of participants demonstrated full awareness of early symptoms. Higher awareness was significantly associated with being female (OR=1.206), aged ≥65 (OR=1.640), high-income (≥6 million KRW/month, OR=1.240), university-educated (OR=2.009), non-smokers (OR=1.140), and those with good perceived health (OR=1.334). In contrast, lower awareness was observed among younger adults, individuals with lower income and education levels, current smokers, and those diagnosed with diabetes. These findings suggest the need for targeted health education strategies to reduce disparities in symptom awareness. Community-based programs and media campaigns should focus on vulnerable groups, including young adults, older adults, and those with chronic conditions, to improve early recognition and timely response to cardiovascular emergencies.