Tanue Elvis Asangbeng, Chun Casey, Hubbard Alan, Kathleen OConnor, Kibu Odette D, Ngekeng Serge, Tendongfor Nicholas, Bassah Nahyeni, McCoy Sandra I, Oke Rasheedat, Obeng-Gyasi Isaac, Nguefack-Tsague Georges, Nsagha Dickson S, Juillard Catherine, Chichom-Mefire Alain, Christie S Ariane
Sustainable Trauma, Research, Education and Mentorship (STREaM) project, Faculty of Health sciences, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon.
Department of Public Health and Hygiene, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon.
PLoS One. 2025 Sep 11;20(9):e0332179. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0332179. eCollection 2025.
Road traffic injuries (RTIs) are a growing public health problem requiring urgent attention in Cameroon where emergency medical services (EMS) are underdeveloped. In other countries, training laypersons to provide prehospital care has been shown to improve injury outcomes, but requires buy-in from the persons being trained to provide care. To inform development of a lay first responder (LFR) program in Cameroon, this study aimed to assess the willingness of community members and associated factors to provide prehospital care for RTIs along the N3 highway, a road linking Cameroon's two largest cities, known to have high incidence of RTIs.
We conducted a cross-sectional survey of community members living along the N3 highway, between June 18th and August 16th, 2024. Health district officials and community leaders identified N3 communities across 11 health districts with high rates of RTI. Purposeful sampling was performed in each community to assess exposure to injury and willingness to participate in prehospital care. Trained research assistants verbally administered a structured questionnaire to each consenting household representative; data collected included socio-demographic characteristics, injury exposure, first aid knowledge and attitudes, and willingness to provide prehospital care to victims of RTIs. Associations between demographic factors and willingness to provide prehospital care were assessed using multivariable logistic regression. Data were analyzed using IBM-SPSS version 26.0 and statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.
A total of 449 adult community members were surveyed. Most [268 (59.7%)) respondents were male with a median age of 33 years (interquartile range: 26-40). The majority, 333 (74.6%) community members were willing to provide care to injured victims. However, a third [167 (37.2%)] had adequate knowledge (scored ≥ 80%) of first aid and only 23 (5%) had been trained in first aid. Factors independently associated with willingness to provide prehospital care included having adequate first aid knowledge (adjusted odd ratio (aOR) = 1.69, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01-2.81, p = 0.046), primary education (aOR=4.20, 95% CI: 1.19-4.81, p = 0.026) and secondary education (aOR=4.70, 95% CI: 1.34-16.53, p = 0.016) compared to respondents with no formal education, prior witness of RTI (aOR=1.68, 95% CI: 1.055-2.68, p = 0.028), being aged between 30 and 40 years (aOR=1.82, 95% CI: 1.06-3.14, p = 0.031) and community members being able to call dedicated phone numbers to report RTIs (aOR=3.11, 95% CI: 1.28-7.54, p = 0.012).
Most community members living in injury exposed-communities reported willingness to participate in prehospital care. However, first-aid knowledge is currently lacking in these communities. LFR training is needed in these communities to enable willing community members to contribute to prehospital efforts for RTIs along this road network.
道路交通伤害（RTIs）是一个日益严重的公共卫生问题，在喀麦隆需要紧急关注，该国的紧急医疗服务（EMS）尚不发达。在其他国家，培训非专业人员提供院前护理已被证明可以改善伤害结果，但需要得到接受培训以提供护理的人员的认可。为了为喀麦隆的非专业急救人员（LFR）项目的开展提供信息，本研究旨在评估社区成员为N3高速公路沿线道路交通伤害提供院前护理的意愿及相关因素，N3高速公路连接喀麦隆的两个最大城市，已知道路交通伤害发生率很高。
我们于2024年6月18日至8月16日对居住在N3高速公路沿线的社区成员进行了横断面调查。卫生区官员和社区领袖确定了11个卫生区中道路交通伤害发生率高的N3社区。在每个社区进行了有目的抽样，以评估伤害暴露情况和参与院前护理的意愿。经过培训的研究助理向每位同意参与的家庭代表口头发放一份结构化问卷；收集的数据包括社会人口学特征、伤害暴露情况、急救知识和态度，以及为道路交通伤害受害者提供院前护理的意愿。使用多变量逻辑回归评估人口因素与提供院前护理意愿之间的关联。数据使用IBM-SPSS 26.0版进行分析，统计学显著性设定为p < 0.05。
共对449名成年社区成员进行了调查。大多数[268名（59.7%）]受访者为男性，中位年龄为33岁（四分位间距：26 - 40岁）。大多数，333名（74.6%）社区成员愿意为受伤受害者提供护理。然而，三分之一[167名（37.2%）]有足够的急救知识（得分≥80%），只有23名（5%）接受过急救培训。与提供院前护理意愿独立相关的因素包括有足够的急救知识（调整后的优势比（aOR）= 1.69，95%置信区间（CI）：1.01 - 2.81，p = 0.046）、小学教育（aOR = 4.20，95% CI：1.19 - 4.81，p = 0.026）和中学教育（aOR = 4.70，95% CI：1.34 - 16.53，p = 0.016），与未接受正规教育的受访者相比，曾目睹过道路交通伤害（aOR = 1.68，95% CI：1.0实的受访者相比，曾目睹过道路交通伤害（aOR = 1.68，95% CI：1.055 - 2.68，p = 0.028）、年龄在30至40岁之间（aOR = 1.82，95% CI：1.06 - 3.14，p = 0.031）以及社区成员能够拨打专用电话号码报告道路交通伤害（aOR = 3.11，95% CI：1.28 - 7.54，p = 0.012）。
大多数生活在伤害暴露社区的社区成员表示愿意参与院前护理。然而，这些社区目前缺乏急救知识。这些社区需要进行非专业急救人员培训，以使有意愿的社区成员能够为这条道路网络沿线的道路交通伤害院前救援工作做出贡献。
