Knowledge and Attitudes Towards Basic Life Support Among Health Students at a Saudi Women’s University
Journal Title: Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal - Year 2017, Vol 17, Issue 1
Abstract
Objectives: Awareness of basic life support (BLS) is paramount to ensure the provision of essential life-saving medical care in emergency situations. Tis study aimed to measure knowledge of BLS and attitudes towards BLS training among female health students at a women’s university in Saudi Arabia. Methods: Tis prospective cross-sectional study took place between January and April 2016 at fve health colleges of the Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. All 2,955 students attending the health colleges were invited to participate in the study. Participants were subsequently asked to complete a validated Englishlanguage questionnaire which included 21 items assessing knowledge of BLS and six items gauging attitudes to BLS. Results: A total of 1,349 students completed the questionnaire (response rate: 45.7%). Te mean overall knowledge score was very low (32.7 ± 13.9) and 87.9% of the participants had very poor knowledge scores. A total of 32.5% of the participants had never received any BLS training. Students who had previously received BLS training had signifcantly higher knowledge scores (P <0.001), although their knowledge scores remained poor. Overall, 77.0% indicated a desire to receive additional BLS training and 78.5% supported mandatory BLS training. Conclusion: Overall knowledge about BLS among the students was very poor; however, attitudes towards BLS training were positive. Tese fndings call for an improvement in BLS education among Saudi female health students so as to ensure appropriate responses in cardiac arrest or other emergency situations.
Authors and Affiliations
Maha A. Al-Mohaissen| Department of Clinical Sciences, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Keywords
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- EP ID EP14747
- DOI 10.18295/squmj.2016.17.01.011
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- Downloads 18
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