Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Venous Thromboembolism Among Elderly Chinese Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study

Purpose: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) poses a significant health risk for the elderly. This study aims to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) concerning VTE among elderly individuals. Patients and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between September and October 2024 among elderly inpatients and outpatients at the Department of Gerontology, Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital in China, involving 540 participants. Demographic characteristics and KAP scores were collected using a self-designed questionnaire. Confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated acceptable construct validity, and a cutoff of 70% of the maximum score was applied to define adequate knowledge, positive attitudes, and proactive practices. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with KAP scores, and structural equation modeling (SEM) was performed to examine the direct and indirect relationships among knowledge, attitudes, and practices. Results: Among respondents, 272 (50.4%) were male, and 67 (12.4%) reported a history of VTE. Mean scores were 8.04 ± 5.22 (knowledge), 40.99 ± 4.10 (attitude), and 28.77 ± 5.12 (practice), indicating inadequate knowledge, generally positive attitudes, and moderately proactive practices. SEM revealed that knowledge significantly influenced both attitude (β = 0.365, P < 0.001) and practice (β = 0.306, P < 0.001), while attitude also affected practice (β = 0.219, P < 0.001). Knowledge further had an indirect effect on practice via attitude (β = 0.080, P < 0.001). Conclusion: These findings highlight critical knowledge gaps among elderly individuals, particularly in mechanical prophylaxis and symptom recognition, underscoring the urgent need for targeted educational interventions to improve VTE prevention strategies. Keywords: venous thromboembolism, knowledge, attitude, practice, elderly, cross-sectional study