Examining training and attitudes to basic life support in multi-ethnic communities residing in New South Wales, Australia: A mixed-methods investigation

BackgroundBystander response, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), is critical to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) survival. Nearly 30% of Australian residents were born overseas, and little is known about their preparedness to perform CPR. In this mixed-methods study, we examined rates of training and willingness and barriers to performing CPR among immigrants in Australia.MethodsFirst, we surveyed residents in New South Wales, Australia, using purposeful sampling to enrich immigrant populations. Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine the association between place of birth and willingness to perform CPR. Next, we conducted focus-group discussions with members of the region’s largest migrant groups to explore barriers and relevant societal or cultural factors.ResultsOf the 1267 survey participants (average age 49.6 years, 52% female), 60% were born outside Australia, most in Asia and 73% had lived in Australia for more than 10 years. Higher rates of previous CPR training were reported among Australian-born participants compared with South Asian-born and East Asian-born (77%, 35%, 48%, respectively, p