Survey of Attitudes and Factors Associated With CPR in an Older Population

A Survey of Attitudes and Factors Associated With Successful Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Knowledge Transfer in an Older Population Most Likely to Witness Cardiac Arrest

The goal of this study is to conduct a survey to better understand the factors associated with undertaking cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training and performing CPR in an emergency situation.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Cardiac Arrest

Detailed Description

Background: Overall survival rate for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest rarely exceeds 5%. While bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can increase survival for cardiac arrest victims up to four times, bystander CPR rates remain low in Canada (15%). Survivors have a quality of life similar to the general population. Most cardiac arrest victims are men in their sixties; they usually collapse in their own home (85%), where bystander CPR rates are even lower. The event is witnessed by a family member or bystander 50% of the time. These statistics appear to support a strategy of targeted CPR training for an older population that is most likely to witness a cardiac arrest event. Interest in CPR training appears to decrease with advancing age. Behaviour surrounding CPR training and performance has never been studied using the theoretical constructs of a well validated behavioural theory (the Theory of Planned Behaviour).

Objectives: The overall goal of this study is to conduct a survey to better understand the behavioural factors associated with successful CPR knowledge transfer in an independent-living older population (aged 55 or more). Specific objectives are: 1) To conduct semi-structured qualitative interviews to identify factors influencing CPR training and performance behaviours; 2) To then develop a survey instrument about factors influencing CPR training and performance behaviours based on a systematic review of the literature, the results of the semi-structured interviews, and theoretical constructs; and 3) To conduct a telephone survey among an independent-living population aged 55 or more using the survey instrument, and to identify factors and strategies that might be targeted by KT interventions.

Methods: Objective 1: We will tape-record semi-structured qualitative interviews conducted among 20 randomly selected participants aged 55 or older, and perform inductive analyses to identify categories and themes. Objective 2: The survey instrument will be developed based on a completed systematic review of the literature, and results from objective 1. The two behaviours under study will be �seeking CPR training and providing CPR to a cardiac arrest victim�. Objective 3: We will develop and conduct a nation-wide telephone survey using random digit dialling. The telephone survey will be centrally administered and stratified by province and large or small communities in order to obtain a representative random sample of the Canadian population. The study population will include all men and women aged 55 or older, living independently in the community, with the ability to communicate in English or French. We will seek to obtain a participation rate of 60% or greater. We estimate requiring approximately 500 respondents to identify factors and strategies for improving CPR KT in our target population. Analyses will include measures of sampling bias, reliability of the measures, construct validity, as well as multiple regression analyses to identify constructs and beliefs most salient to seniors� decisions about whether to attend CPR classes or perform CPR.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 412

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Canada
  • Ontario
    • Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1Y 4E9
      • The Ottawa Hospital

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 55 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Independent-living individuals aged 55 years or older

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Canadian; stratified by province
• Independent-living individuals aged 55 years or older
• Ability to communicate in French or English

Exclusion Criteria:

• persons living in the Northwest Territories, Yukon Territory, or Nunavut

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Measure the Intent to Engage in CPR Training or Intent to Perform CPR	Mean intention to complete CPR training in the next 6 months as well as intention to perform CPR on a victim in cardiac arrest was assessed using a 5-point Likert scale with higher scores indicating stronger intentions (1=strongly disagree, 2=disagree, 3=neither agree nor disagree, 4=agree, 5=strongly agree).	1 hour

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
• Collaborators: Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR); Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Christian Vaillancourt, MD, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Vaillancourt C, Kasaboski A, Charette M, Islam R, Osmond M, Wells GA, Stiell IG, Brehaut JC, Grimshaw JM. Barriers and facilitators to CPR training and performing CPR in an older population most likely to witness cardiac arrest: a national survey. Resuscitation. 2013 Dec;84(12):1747-52. doi: 10.1016/j.resuscitation.2013.08.001. Epub 2013 Aug 27.
• Vaillancourt C, Charette M, Kasaboski A, Brehaut JC, Osmond M, Wells GA, Stiell IG, Grimshaw J. Barriers and facilitators to CPR knowledge transfer in an older population most likely to witness cardiac arrest: a theory-informed interview approach. Emerg Med J. 2014 Sep;31(9):700-5. doi: 10.1136/emermed-2012-202192. Epub 2013 May 1.
• Vaillancourt C, Grimshaw J, Brehaut JC, Osmond M, Charette ML, Wells GA, Stiell IG. A survey of attitudes and factors associated with successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) knowledge transfer in an older population most likely to witness cardiac arrest: design and methodology. BMC Emerg Med. 2008 Nov 5;8:13. doi: 10.1186/1471-227X-8-13.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: January 1, 2008
• Primary Completion (Actual): March 1, 2009
• Study Completion (Actual): August 1, 2010

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 21, 2008
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 22, 2008
• First Posted (Estimated): April 23, 2008

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 21, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 19, 2023
• Last Verified: November 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: CPR; cardiac arrest; resuscitation; heart arrest; bystander CPR
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Heart Diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases; Heart Arrest
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2007751-01H