Level of knowledge, prevention practice, and predictors towards stroke among diabetic and hypertensive patients having a follow up at University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Referral Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study

Background: Because of poor health care service delivery and a low level of public awareness of the disease the incidence and disability rate of stroke has been increased. The study aimed to assess the knowledge, prevention practice, and associated socio-demographic factors towards stroke among hypertensive and diabetic patients. Method: Cross-sectional based study design was applied on hypertensive and diabetic patients after they were selected with a simple random sampling technique. The data were collected with a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. Result: All the computed 382 respondents responded with a response rate of 100%. Among the participants 52.36% were males. The finding showed that the respondents had 36.65% and 42.67% good knowledge and prevention practice of stroke respectively. The associated demographic factors with good knowledge of stroke were urban residency [AOR, (95% CI), 4.54 (2.23-9.25)], Age <50 years [AOR, 95% CI; 1.80 (1.06-3.05)], educational status [AOR, 95% CI; 2.78 (1.45-5.31)], monthly income [AOR.95% CI; 1.98 (1.15-3.40)] and >5 years' duration of the disease [AOR, 95% CI; 1.94 (1.15-3.27)]. Similarly, urban residency [AOR, (95% CI); 1.91 (1.06-3.43)1, being educated [AOR, 95% CI; 2.98 (1.67-5.31) monthly income [AOR, 95% CI; 2 (1.20-3.32)] and medical condition become hypertension (HTN) with Diabetes mellitus (DM) [AOR, 95% CI; 2.068 (1.20-3.57)] were strongly associated factors with good prevention practice of stroke. However, the occupational status being Farmer [AOR, 95% CI; 0.31 (0.107-0.91)] was preventive against good prevention practice of stroke. Conclusion: The study showed that the respondent's level of knowledge and prevention practice towards stroke was limited.