The DIVERSE Study: Determining the Importance of Various gEnders, Races, and Body Shapes for CPR Education Using Manikins

Abstract

Certain demographic groups are less likely to receive efficient Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and poor representation of these groups in the manikins used for CPR simulation may play a role. The aim of the DIVERSE Study was to survey organizations that teach CPR to determine the demographic characteristics of the manikins they utilize for simulations. Institutions, businesses, and non-governmental organizations which provide CPR certification in North and Latin America were surveyed through a collaboration with the Emerging Leaders group of the Interamerican Society of Cardiology (SIAC). A total of 56 survey responses were received from North America (n = 18; 869 total manikins) and Latin America (n = 38; 1514 total manikins). Of the total manikins (n = 2383), 12% were non-white, 6% represented women, <1% represented a non-lean body habitus, and 1% represented pregnant individuals. Despite the importance of diverse manikin representation in simulation training, diverse representation is lacking in manikins used in North and Latin America.