Ethnicity and proficiency in English as factors affecting community cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) class attendance.
Communities with a high prevalence of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) knowledge have a greater out of hospital cardiac arrest survival rate. Within metropolitan Adelaide, 12.4% of the community is from a non-English speaking country and 20.3% of these have a poor proficiency in English. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of ethnicity (specifically, Southern European born (SEB) and South East Asian born (SEAB)) and a poor proficiency in English (PENG) on CPR skill acquisition. Population Census postcode data were compared to postcode student CPR classes attendance. Results showed a negative correlation between SEB (-0.44), SEAB (-0.36), PENG (-0.42) with CPR class attendance. Postcodes with a less than community average of SEB, SEAB and PENG had an average proportion of CPR class attendees of 2.64% (C.I. 2.43, 2.85), 2.54% (C.I. 2.35, 2.73) and 2.65% (C.I. 2.35, 2.73), respectively, whilst those postcodes with a greater than community average had 2.03% (C.I. 1.90, 2.16), 2.07% (C.I. 1.90, 2.24) and 2.04% (C.I. 1.90, 2.18) proportion of CPR class attendees. The difference for each category was significant to a P < 0.001. This study points to SEB, SEAB, and PENG as factors associated with fewer CPR class attendances. Future CPR classes should specifically target and cater for ethnic groups from non-English speaking countries with poor English skills if CPR skills are to be widely disseminated throughout the entire community.
St John Ambulance Australia Inc, South Australia District Training and Education Group, Eastwood, Australia.
A
A
Flabouris
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001210:Asia, Southeastern / Q000208:ethnology; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation / Q000193:education*; D003144:Communication Barriers; D005006:Ethnicity; D005060:Europe / Q000208:ethnology; D006266:Health Education / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008875:Middle Aged; D013021:South Australia