Awareness and willingness to perform CPR: a survey amongst Flemish schoolchildren, teachers and principals

Abstract

Objectives Training children in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is one of the strategies to increase bystander CPR in society. Reinforcing knowledge and awareness and increasing willingness to perform bystander CPR contributes to a better outcome after cardiac arrest. We questioned schoolchildren, teachers and principals about their awareness of the importance of CPR and about their willingness to perform CPR. Methods During a four-month period, Flemish schoolchildren aged 10-18 years, teachers and principals were invited to complete a survey consisting of three parts: (1) demographics, (2) CPR (training) experience and (3) attitude towards CPR teaching and training. Result In total, 390 schoolchildren, 439 teachers and 100 principals completed the survey. Previous CPR training was reported by 33% of the schoolchildren (in 82% as part of the curriculum) and by 81% teachers and 82% principals. Willingness to participate in CPR training was 77% in schoolchildren, 79% in teachers and 86% in principals with 88% of the principals convinced that schoolchildren should learn how to perform CPR. Willingness to perform CPR in a real-life situation was 68% in schoolchildren, 84% in teachers and 92% in principals. Conclusion Schoolchildren are well aware of the importance of CPR and are willing to acquire the related knowledge and skills. Noteworthy is the larger awareness among principals and teachers, establishing a strong base for increasing implementation of CPR training in schools. However, a majority of children indicated a lack of training opportunities, highlighting the need for a stronger implementation.

Knowledge, training and willingness to perform bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation among university students in Chongqing, China: a cross-sectional study

“…29 Less than half of the respondents were willing to provide simple assistance, such as checking consciousness and breathing and dialling 120. Only 34.1% of the respondents were willing to perform CPR on strangers, which was lower than Belgium (68.0%) 25 and Germany (72.3%), 30 but was similar to Tianjin (44.4%). 14 This finding may be related to the social environment and culture of China.…”

“…The results showed that only 33.6% of the respondents had taken part in CPR training, much lower than Norway (89%). 23 Only 45.5% of the college students were willing to attend CPR training, far lower than New Zealand (63%), 24 Belgium (77.0%) 25 and Wuhan, a city in Central China (88.3%). 26 These findings may be related to respondents' lack of CPR knowledge and awareness of the importance of training and performing bystander CPR.…”

Readiness to teach and perform CPR: A survey amongst secondary school teachers in Malaysia

“…Despite the widespread ignorance regarding the use of AEDs, defibrillation is a critical component of the survival chain. As a result, it is necessary to educate teachers about the use of AED 30 . In Malaysia, AEDs have been installed in various locations, including malls, airports, and even specific sports complexes and schools.…”

“…Correct answers were worth one mark, while incorrect answers carry no marks. The attitudes and willingness to teach and perform CPR were measured using a 4-point Likert scale with 6 and 7 items, respectively 30 . The survey's validity and reliability were previously evaluated.…”

Quality of chest compressions performed by school-age children — a quasi-experimental simulation-based study

“…It seems that there are two main difficulties concerning providing first aid by non-professionals -the lack of appropriate training and anxiety about performing CPR. The studies have shown that despite some improvement, unwillingness to perform CPR is ever-present in the relevant number of questioned people [13][14][15]. Most studies reveal that the only way to address this issue is by providing high-quality CPR training [16][17][18].…”