Katia ISKANDAR ^1* Deema Rahme ² Pascale Salameh ³ Chadia Haddad ³ Hala Sacre ⁴ Mohammed Hossni ⁵ Rula Darwish ⁶ Sarah El Khatib ⁷ Jihan Safwan ¹ Fouad Sakr ¹ Mohamad Rahhal ¹ Hassan Hosseini ⁸ Michele Cherfane ³

• ¹ Lebanese International University, Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
• ² Beirut Arab University, Beirut, Lebanon
• ³ Gilbert and Rose-Mary Chagoury School of Medicine, Lebanese American Univeristy, Byblos, Lebanon
• ⁴ INSPECT-LB (Institut National de Santé Publique, d’Épidémiologie Clinique et de Toxicologie-Liban), Beirut, Lebanon., Beirut, Lebanon
• ⁵ Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Egyptian Russian University, Badr, Cairo, Egypt
• ⁶ Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, School of Pharmacy, The University of Jordan, Queen Rania Stree, Amman, Jordan
• ⁷ Faculty of Public Health, Lebanese University, Tripoli, Beirut, Lebanon
• ⁸ Hôpitaux Universitaires Henri Mondor, Créteil, France

Introduction: Studies from developed and developing countries showed that the knowledge levels of stroke need improvement. Educational campaigns varied and were of limited influence predominantly because of their short duration and the need for financial support. The study aims to test in four Arab countries the impact of a three-minute online video on the knowledge of stroke and factors influencing the knowledge score.Methods: A cross-sectional web-based pre-post study was conducted in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and the United Arab Emirates. The data was collected using the snowball technique.Participants were adults aged 18 years and above. The questionnaire sequence was conducting a pretest, followed by the educational video explaining stroke occurrence, types, risks, warning signs, preventive measures, and treatment, and finally, a post-test to evaluate the differences in knowledge from baseline. Statistical analysis included paired t-tests comparing pre-posteducation stroke knowledge scores, while repeated measures ANOVA, adjusting for covariates, assessed mean changes.The total number of participants was 2721, mainly younger than fifty-five55 years.The majority had a university degree and were not healthcare professionals. A significant improvement was noted in the total knowledge score in all countries from a mean average (Mpretest =21.11; Mpost-test =23.70) with p<0.001. Identification of the stroke risks (Mpretest=7.40; Mpost-test=8.75) and warning signs (Mpretest=4.19; Mpost-test=4.94), understanding the preventive measures (Mpretest=5.27; Mpost-test=5.39) and the importance of acting fast (Mpretest=0.82; Mpost-test=0.85) improved from baseline with (p<0.001) for all score components.The educational tool successfully enhanced public understanding of stroke risks, the identification of stroke signs, and the critical need for emergency action. The advantages of this video include its short length, free online access, use of evidence-based content in lay language, and reflective images. The ultimate goal remains the long-term improvement of sustainability by mandating full-scale trials.