Evaluation of Awareness, Knowledge, and Attitudes Towards Basic Life Support Among Non-Medical Students at Two Academic Institutions in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND: Cardiac arrests are a leading cause of mortality in Saudi Arabia. Prompt and quick intervention using early cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can be a life-saving strategy. Sufficient knowledge and awareness regarding CPR are important in initial care, particularly during an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. We aim to assess the knowledge, awareness, and attitude toward CPR among the students of King Abdulaziz University and Jeddah University. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A descriptive, cross-sectional study design with a sample of 1053 non-medical students, regardless of their academic year, was conducted from May to July 2019 at both universities. Data were analyzed through chi-square and analysis of variance where a P-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Out of 1053 students, 28.7% received CPR training. Also, the majority of the subjects were female 71%. The science department provided the largest response. Results showed that chest pain was the most observed early sign of cardiac arrest among participants by a percentage of 84.6. Majority of the participants (90.9%) felt no hesitation in performing early CPR on a family member. Additionally, committing a mistake was the most feared factor that deterred students from performing CPR. CONCLUSION: Knowledge and awareness of CPR among non-medical university students were poor, despite positive attitudes toward it. Integrating mandatory CPR courses in the orientation and in the first year of the undergraduate curriculum could increase awareness and improve the outcomes of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA).