Determinants of the Public's Intention to Assist Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Victims: A Regional Survey

Eka Yulia Fitri (Emergency-Critical Care Division, Nursing Department, Medical Faculty, Universitas Sriwijaya)
Dhona Andhini (Emergency-Critical Care Division, Nursing Department, Medical Faculty, Universitas Sriwijaya)
Hikayati Hikayati (Emergency-Critical Care Division, Nursing Department, Medical Faculty, Universitas Sriwijaya)
Ulfa Nur Rohmah (Medical-Surgical Division, Nursing Department, Medical Faculty, Universitas Sriwijaya)

Nurse Media Journal of Nursing
Vol 16, No 2 (2026): (August 2026) [In Progress]

Background: Early cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) substantially improves survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). However, the proportion of OHCA victims receiving CPR from the public remains low in Asia. Although several factors associated with the public’s intention to assist OHCA victims have been identified, evidence from Indonesia remains limited, particularly among community-based populations.Purpose: This study aimed to identify factors associated with the public’s intention to assist OHCA victims in South Sumatra, Indonesia.Methods: A cross-sectional survey guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) was conducted among 433 residents from 17 regencies and municipalities in South Sumatra using a two-stage sampling approach. Trained enumerators collected data using a structured questionnaire based on TPB constructs with acceptable validity and internal consistency. Intention to assist OHCA victims was assessed as a binary (yes/no) outcome based on participants’ self-reported responses. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with this intention.Results: Among all participants, 64.9% expressed an intention to assist OHCA victims, whereas 15.2% reported previous CPR experience. Multivariable analysis showed that previous experience of encountering an OHCA victim (aOR = 2.89, 95% CI = 1.32−6.30, p = 0.008), positive attitudes (aOR = 3.37, 95% CI = 1.81−6.28, p = 0.001), high subjective norms (aOR = 2.09, 95% CI = 1.07−4.06, p = 0.030), willingness to attend CPR training (aOR = 3.62, 95% CI = 2.11−6.20, p = 0.001), and high perceived behavioral control (aOR = 3.94, 95% CI = 2.32−6.71, p = 0.001) were significantly associated with greater intention to assist OHCA victims.Conclusion: High perceived behavioral control was the strongest predictive factor associated with the intention to assist OHCA victims. These findings support nursing-led, community-based CPR education strategies that strengthen confidence, promote positive attitudes and supportive social norms, and expand access to hands-on CPR training.