Coronary heart disease (CHD) is attributable to a number of risk factors, which can be classified as modifiable and non-modifiable.1
There are various approaches that can be used to calculate an individual's risk of having a coronary event using these risk factors, one of the most commonly used approaches being the Framingham equation2
which arose from the results of the Framingham Heart Study. This study began in 1948 and set out to identify the common factors that contribute to CHD by following a large cohort of asymptomatic patients over a prolonged period. By analysing the characteristics of the patients who suffered from CHD in the follow-up period, gender-specific equations were formulated to predict the risk of having a coronary event in the next 10 years in patients according to their age, diabetic status, smoking status, blood pressure, total cholesterol or low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol values.2
Considering the well-established link between health and individuals’ knowledge about the disease,3
it is not surprising that many health promotion strategies attempt to motivate preventative health behaviours by addressing the public's knowledge of diseases and their risk factors. Nevertheless, individuals continue to engage in unhealthy behaviours even when the risks are well known. For example, according to the Office for National Statistics, approximately one-quarter of individuals aged 16 and over in Great Britain continue to smoke despite the explicit health warning labels on cigarette packets.4
Knowing that individuals continue to engage in unhealthy behaviour despite knowing the risks and given that prevention, as opposed to cure, is the most effective way to deal with CHD,1
it is of major interest to know how the general public perceive CHD risk factors and whether their perceptions are in line with their actual CHD risk. Knowledge of this information will help to address the misconceptions held by the general public and ultimately lead to more successful approaches to tackle CHD.
Individuals’ perceptions and knowledge of different CHD risk factors have been studied using traditional questionnaires;6–9
however, none of the studies to date have used discrete choice experiment (DCE) methodology to assess the general public's perceptions of these risk factors. The use of DCE methodology in healthcare research is increasing as it allows researchers to investigate individuals’ preferences regarding certain services or treatment approaches.10
This methodology also provides an opportunity to take a closer look at the relative importance which the individual places on different characteristics.11
The main aim of the present study was to assess the perceptions of members of the general public (in Northern Ireland) of various factors which increase the risk of having a coronary event and to assess if these perceptions are affected by their personal risk profile.