Health characteristics, knowledge, and attitude towards basic life support among marathon runners in Thailand: a population-based survey

摘要

BACKGROUND: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is not common but associated with a low survival rate. There is no evidence investigat-ing the effects of previous Basic Life Support (BLS) training among long-distance runners. The goal of this study is to demonstrate the health characteristics, knowledge, and attitudes towards BLS among marathon runners. METHODS: An online cross-sectional survey was asked to all 2019 Chiang Mai University marathon participants as a part of the running reg-istration. Details of health characteristic, running history, and BLS training details were requested. The primary outcomes were knowledge and attitude towards BLS among marathon runners. RESULTS: Of all 10,507 questionnaires sent, the response rate was 92.9%. One-nineth of participants were 50 years of age or above. The mean age was 36.8 +/- 9.9 years. Most were male (56.1%) and Thai (99.4%). Only a quarter (2454 out of 9761 runners) of study population had previ-ous BLS training. Family history of sudden cardiac death or cardiac death with unknown causes was more in participants with previous BLS training than those without (1.1% vs. 0.6%, p=0.01). previous BLS training group answered the national emergency call number correctly more than those without (90.4% vs. 73.0%, p<0.001) and previous BLS training group were more likely to initiate CpR than those without (median self-confidence 8 vs. 5, respectively, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Only a quarter of running participants have participated in BLS training before entering a marathon running. Having previous BLS training is associated with higher self-confidence to attempt CPR. Organized planning including trained medical staff, adequate equipment, and qualified bystanders is recommended. (Cite this article as: Wongtanasarasin W, Sutham K, Laosuksri W, Wittayachamnankul B. Health characteristics, knowledge, and attitude towards basic life support among marathon runners in Thailand: a population-based survey. J Sports Med phys Fitness 2022;62:1742-7. DOI: 10.23736/S0022-4707.22.13719-9)