basic life support (bls) knowledge among general population; a multinational study in nine arab countries

Introduction: basic life support (bls) is a medical treatment used in life-threatening emergencies until the sufferer can be properly cared for by a team of paramedics or in a hospital. this study aimed to assess the level of knowledge regarding bls and the contributing factors among the arab non-medical population. methods: an online survey-based cross-sectional study was conducted among non-medical populations in nine arab countries between april 13, 2022, and june 30, 2022. the utilized questionnaire consisted of two parts: part one included socio-demographic characteristics and part two measured knowledge of bls through an online survey. results: the research included a total of 4465 participants. 2540 (56.89%) of the participants were knowledgeable about bls. the mean basic life support knowledge scores of participants who received training were higher than those who had not (20.11 ± 4.20 vs. 16.96 ± 5.27; p< 0.01). according to the nations, yemen scored the highest, while morocco had the lowest levels of bls knowledge (19.86 ± 4.71 vs. 14.15 ± 5.10, respectively; p< 0.01). additionally, individuals who resided in urban areas scored on average higher than those who did in rural areas (17.86 ± 5.19 vs. 17.13 ± 5.24, p= 0.032) in understanding basic life support. age, information sources, and previous training with theoretical and practical classes were significant predictors of bls knowledge. conclusion: the level of bls knowledge among non-medical people in arab nations is moderate but insufficient to handle the urgent crises that we face everywhere. in addition to physicians being required to learn the bls principles, non-medical people should also be knowledgeable of the necessary actions to take in emergency events.