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. 2017 May 17;6(5):e006124.
doi: 10.1161/JAHA.117.006124.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Training Disparities in the United States

Audrey L Blewer  1   2 , Said A Ibrahim  3 , Marion Leary  1   4 , David Dutwin  5 , Bryan McNally  6 , Monique L Anderson  7 , Laurie J Morrison  8 , Tom P Aufderheide  9 , Mohamud Daya  10 , Ahamed H Idris  11 , Clifton W Callaway  12 , Peter J Kudenchuk  13 , Gary M Vilke  14 , Benjamin S Abella  15
Affiliations

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Training Disparities in the United States

Audrey L Blewer et al. J Am Heart Assoc. .

Abstract

Background: Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is associated with increased survival from cardiac arrest, yet bystander CPR rates are low in many communities. The overall prevalence of CPR training in the United States and associated individual-level disparities are unknown. We sought to measure the national prevalence of CPR training and hypothesized that older age and lower socioeconomic status would be independently associated with a lower likelihood of CPR training.

Methods and results: We administered a cross-sectional telephone survey to a nationally representative adult sample. We assessed the demographics of individuals trained in CPR within 2 years (currently trained) and those who had been trained in CPR at some point in time (ever trained). The association of CPR training and demographic variables were tested using survey weighted logistic regression. Between September 2015 and November 2015, 9022 individuals completed the survey; 18% reported being currently trained in CPR, and 65% reported training at some point previously. For each year of increased age, the likelihood of being currently CPR trained or ever trained decreased (currently trained: odds ratio, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.97-0.99; P<0.01; ever trained: OR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.98-0.99; P=0.04). Furthermore, there was a greater then 4-fold difference in odds of being currently CPR trained from the 30-39 to 70-79 year old age groups (95% CI, 0.10-0.23). Factors associated with a lower likelihood of CPR training were lesser educational attainment and lower household income (P<0.01 for each of these variables).

Conclusions: A minority of respondents reported current training in CPR. Older age, lesser education, and lower income were associated with reduced likelihood of CPR training. These findings illustrate important gaps in US CPR education and suggest the need to develop tailored CPR training efforts to address this variability.

Keywords: cardiopulmonary resuscitation; education; education surveillance; educational campaigns; sudden cardiac arrest.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Adjusted probability of current CPR training by age with 95% CIs. CPR indicates cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Adjusted probability of current CPR training by income with 95% CIs. CPR indicates cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Histogram displaying the frequency of SCA events by victim age using data from the US Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium Epistry data registry (2011–2015).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Adjusted probability of SCA victims receiving B‐CPR by age stratified by events in the home and public environment. B‐CPR indicates bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation; CPR, cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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