First aid Knowledge and Bystander Willingness to Rescue in Jilin, China: The Mediating Roles of Attitude towards First Aid

Background: Previous research has been conducted on bystander first aid knowledge, attitudes, and willingness. However, surveys of their willingness to provide first aid as bystanders have shown conflicting results. Jilin Province, China, as an economically underdeveloped region, has a low popularization rate of first aid knowledge, and there is a lack of analysis of the mediating effects on first aid knowledge, attitude, and willingness to rescue. Therefore, this study will investigate the first aid knowledge, attitude, and willingness level of residents in Jilin Province as bystanders, and explore the influencing factors of first aid willingness. Methods A cross-section study design using a convenience sampling method was used to recruit participants from 16 communities in 8 regions in Jilin Province, China, from May to August 2021. The study included a total of 1994 participants in the analysis. Logistic regression and mediation analysis were conducted to examine the factors associated with and influence of first-aid attitude as the mediating variable to establish a mediation model of the first-aid mechanism. The strength of the association between the independent variables with the willingness to rescue was analyzed using crude odds ratios (COR) of binary logistic regression and adjusted odds ratios (AOR) of multiple logistic regression. Statistical significance was declared when the p-value was < 0.05. Results Only 366 (18.4%) had a high level of willingness. The results of multiple logistic analyses showed that gender, occupation, education level, and income level were significantly associated with willingness to rescue. The intermediary analysis found that first-aid attitude was the mediator between first-aid knowledge and willingness, and the mediating effect accounted for 59.70% of the total effect. Conclusions The willingness of residents in Changchun to receive first aid is at a relatively low level, which is influenced by gender, occupation, education level, and economic level. Relevant units and departments should increase training efforts and develop corresponding training management strategies based on the characteristics of the population to promote the popularization of public first aid knowledge and improve the success rate of first aid.