Objective  To investigate epidemiological characteristics of cerebrovascular disease (CVD) among permanent residents in Jiangxi province and to provide references for the prevention and control of CVD.

  Methods  We first selected 5 counties (districts) as study sites according to their geographical distribution in Jiangxi province using stratified multi-stage cluster sampling; secondly, we randomly selected one or more villages or communities (at least with 1 300 households or more) under the administration of a township or a neighbourhood committee from each of the five study sites using probabilities proportional to size sampling; then we conducted a household survey on morbidity and mortality of CVD among all permanent residents (living at a local residence for 6 months or more) in the selected villages or communities to screen out suspected CVD patients or reported CVD death; finally, face-to-face surveys were carried out by neurologists among suspected CVD patients or relatives of CVD deaths to diagnose CVD and to confirm the CVD deaths. Necessary clinic examinations were also performed in the surveys.

  Results  Valid information were collected from 98.41% (19 560/19 670) of the residents surveyed. The average age of the participants was 37.59 ± 20.91 years. Among the participants, totally 257 CVD patients were identified, with a crude and standardized prevalence rate of 1 323.58/100 000 and 1 195.13/100 000. For all the participants, the prevalence, morbidity, and mortality rate of stroke were 1 066.08/100 000, 297.48/100 000, and 92.32/100 000 and standardized prevalence, morbidity, and mortality rate were 958.42/100 000, 265.82/100 000, and 78.57/100 000, respectively. The rate of stroke prevalence, morbidity and mortality increased significantly with the increment of age among the participants (P < 0.050); the stroke mortality rate of the male participants was significantly higher than that of the female participants and the stroke morbidity rate of the urban participants was significantly higher than that of the rural participants (both P < 0.05). Among the CVD patients identified, 94.69% were diagnosed based on computed tomography (CT) and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); the proportion of cerebral infarction, cerebral hemorrhage, subarachnoid hemorrhage, and not been classified were 73.45%, 21.74%, 3.37%, and 1.44%, respectively. The prevalence rate and the standardized prevalence rate of transient ischemic attack (TIA) was 257.51/100 000 and 278.08/100 000 among the participantas; the prevalence rate of TIA was significantly higher among the female participants than among the male participants and significantly higher among the rural participants than among the urban participants (both P < 0.05). The recurrence rate of TIA was 74.00% among the TIA patients diagnosed.

  Conclusion  Cerebrovascular disease is prevalent among permanent residents in Jiangxi province and effective measures for prevention and control of the disease need to be promoted among in the population.