Communication campaigns on cardiovascular disease awareness: a case study among youngsters in Malaysia

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major public health concern in Malaysia, with increasing prevalence and mortality rates in recent years. While CVD has traditionally been viewed as a disease of older adults, recent studies have shown that youth in Malaysia are also at risk. Additionally, a study on coronary artery disease (CAD) among Malaysian youth found that almost 70 per cent of participants aged 15 to 24 have at least one cardiovascular risk factor. Besides, in the 2018 survey, the prevalence of self-reported CVD was 5.8%, which increased to 6.7% in the 2020 survey. This represents a significant increase in just three years. This campaign aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge regarding CVD among youth in Malaysia. On the other hand, spreading awareness to the youth by using posters are popular and effective method for health campaigns due to their ability to convey information in a visually appealing and accessible manner. In fact, three posters that comprise current news, symptoms, factor risk, treatment, labelled heart structure and a family tree of genetic inheritance disease will be used throughout this campaign. On top of that, flashcards will be used as they provide a quick and effective way to communicate important health messages to audiences. Overall, the use of posters and flashcards in the health campaign was successful in promoting healthy eating habits and physical activity among school-aged children in the rural community. The campaign demonstrated that simple and visually appealing tools can be effective in raising awareness about health issues and promoting positive behaviour change among youth.