Awareness attitudes and preventive practices toward noncommunicable disease prevention among adults in Wasit Governorate Iraq in 2025

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Understanding public awareness, attitudes, and preventive practices is essential for designing effective interventions; however, community-based evidence from Iraq remains limited. To assess knowledge, attitudes, and preventive practices (KAP) regarding the prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among adults in Wasit Governorate, Iraq. A community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted among 459 adults (≥ 18 years) using a multistage community-based convenience sampling approach in Wasit Governorate, Iraq. Data were collected using a structured Arabic questionnaire adapted from validated Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) instruments. Composite awareness, attitude, and practice scores were converted to percentage scores and categorized according to Bloom’s modified cut-off points. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent-samples t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and multivariate ordinal logistic regression, with adjusted odds ratios (AORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) reported. The overall mean awareness score was high (88.1% ± 17.7%), with significantly higher awareness observed among younger participants and those with higher educational attainment ( p < 0.001). Attitudes toward NCD prevention were moderately positive (70.8% ± 12.8%). Participants aged 30–39 years had higher odds of positive attitudes than those aged 18–29 years (reference category) (AOR = 2.01, 95% CI: 1.18–3.41; p = 0.010). Preventive practices were considerably lower (58.0% ± 16.9%), with better engagement observed among older adults (≥ 50 years; AOR = 3.85, 95% CI: 1.59–9.33; p = 0.003). A substantial gap between awareness and preventive behaviors was identified, particularly regarding routine screening, healthy dietary habits, and regular physical activity. Although awareness of NCD prevention was high and attitudes were moderately positive among the study participants, preventive practices remained suboptimal. These findings highlight the need for targeted public health interventions focusing on behavioral change, improved health literacy, and enhanced access to preventive services to bridge the awareness–practice gap. Given the community-based convenience sampling approach, the findings should be interpreted with appropriate caution.