Background: Latinos in Los Angeles receive bystander Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) at approximately half the rate of White Angelinos. Multiple studies have found that Latino patients are less likely to receive bystander CPR, despite its critical role in cardiac arrest survival. We aimed to assess CPR knowledge and utilization in the local Latino community by surveying respondents at health fairs held in predominantly Latino neighborhoods.  

Methods: The research was conducted at two locations: the Vision y Compromiso conference, a prominent meeting of promotoras nationwide, and the Latino Student Health Project (LSHP) Health Fair in Pacoima. Participants were community members who attended one of these health education events. A structured thirty-question survey assessed CPR knowledge and identified barriers to learning and performing CPR. Descriptive statistics were employed to analyze the data, focusing on key indicators such as CPR knowledge and identifying barriers to learning CPR and performing CPR. Stratification analysis was conducted to explore variations in responses to demographic variables, such as age, education, and income. 

Results: A total of 82 individuals combined participated in the survey, providing insights specific to the Latinx community. Our results demonstrated that 77.3% of survey respondents were aware of the purpose of CPR. Although 88.9% had some knowledge about CPR, only 58.0% felt comfortable demonstrating CPR techniques. Despite 74.4% having attended a CPR course, only 45.3% held an active certification. Reported barriers to certification included cost (39.3%) and language accessibility (25.0%). Reported barriers to performing CPR were language barriers in emergency situations (75.0%), fear of legal issues (53.2%), and uncertainty about when to perform CPR (41.6%).

Conclusion: Latinx community members understand the purpose of CPR but are hesitant to demonstrate CPR in public settings. Barriers to taking CPR courses included cost and availability of classes in Spanish. Reported barriers to performing CPR include language barriers, fear of lawsuit and inability to recognize cardiac arrest. To improve CPR education in the Latinx community, classes should incorporate a comprehensive overview of Good Samaritan laws and detailed instructions about how to quickly recognize cardiac arrest in both English and Spanish.