Cardiopulmonary resuscitation level of knowledge among allied health university students in Jordan: A cross-sectional study

Alaa O. Oteir, Khader A. Almhdawi, Saddam F. Kanaan, Mahmoud T. Alwidyan, Brett Williams

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

14 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Objective To explore the level of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) knowledge among allied health professions (AHPs) students and its associated factors. Methods This is a cross-sectional study assessing CPR knowledge among AHP students. A multidisciplinary expert panel designed a survey, which then was piloted to 20 potential participants. The survey had two sections, including demographics and knowledge questions. Knowledge questions scores ranged from 0 to 10, where 10 indicates all questions were answered correctly. Results A total of 883 students completed the surveys and were included in the study. The mean age was 21 years (±1.6) and the majority were females (73.1%). A total of 693 (78.5%) students did not receive previous CPR training and the top barriers to receiving CPR training were unawareness of training opportunities and a lack of time. Participants had a mean CPR knowledge score of 3.9 (±1.7) out of 10 maximum potential points. Trained participants had a higher mean score compared with the untrained (4.6 (±1.6) vs 3.8 (±1.6), p<0.001). Previous training (adjusted β=0.6; 95% CI 0.2 to 0.9; p<0.001) and being in the physical therapy programme (adjusted β=0.5; 95% CI 0.1 to 0.8; p=0.01) were associated with higher knowledge. Conclusion There is poor knowledge of CPR among AHP students including trained individuals. Efforts to increase the awareness of CPR should target students and professionals who are highly likely to encounter patients requiring CPR. Compulsory training courses, shorter training periods as well as recurrent and regular refreshing courses and use of various media devices are recommended.

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere031725
Number of pages9
JournalBMJ Open
Volume9
Issue number11
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 19 Nov 2019

Keywords

  • allied health professions
  • cardiopulmonary resuscitation
  • CPR
  • knowledge

Cite this