Investigating Awareness of Cardiovascular Disease as the Primary Cause of Mortality in Women: Insights from a Survey of 7920 Individuals

OBJECTIVE
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the main cause of mortality worldwide for both women and men. However, women are ignored as victims of CVD leading to underdiagnoses and undertreatment. We aimed to assess public awareness of CVD as the leading cause of death in women.

METHODS
This nationwide survey was designed to evaluate awareness of CVD as the primary cause of female mortality. Individuals aged 18 to 80 years from across Turkiye were invited to participate in a brief, structured questionnaire.

RESULTS
A total of 7,920 individuals were surveyed, of whom 58% were female. Only 34% of women and 38% of men correctly identified CVD as the leading cause of death in women (P =0.0001). In contrast, malignant diseases—particularly breast cancer—were mistakenly cited as the leading cause by 46% of women and 42% of men. Educational attainment was not associated with greater awareness. Among women, age was the sole factor independently correlated with awareness, while both age and a history of coronary artery disease (CAD) were significantly associated with awareness in men.

CONCLUSION
Public awareness of CVD as the leading cause of death in women remains alarmingly low in Turkiye. Neither higher education nor the presence of cardiovascular risk factors was associated with increased awareness. Age emerged as the primary correlate in women, and both age and CAD history in men. These findings suggest that awareness of female CVD mortality may be shaped more by personal experience than formal education, highlighting a critical gap in national health literacy.