CPR training, educational attitudes, and resuscitation ethics in northern Greece: a cross-sectional questionnaire study

Bystander response to cardiac arrest is linked to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training, confidence and access to education. Resuscitation also raises ethical questions about when CPR should be withheld and how new treatments should be studied.

We conducted a cross-sectional study in Thessaloniki, Greece, from January to March 2026. The questionnaire was administered electronically and on paper to health-sciences students/professionals and non-health-sciences respondents. Descriptive, comparative and multivariable regression analyses were performed.

Among 1,271 respondents, 1,264 had known health-sciences status; 89.8% reported CPR awareness and 33.6% previous training. Health-sciences status was associated with training (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 5.15, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.95-6.76). Among trained respondents, 345/418 (82.5%) answered all three basic-response items correctly; higher confidence was associated with this endpoint (aOR 1.47, 95% CI 1.08-2.00). Among untrained respondents, 509/775 (65.7%) intended training and 440/746 (59.0%) both intended training and reported access barriers. Greater perceived ethical acceptability was associated with willingness to be randomized (aOR 5.98, 95% CI 4.69-7.61).

In this regional sample, high CPR awareness contrasted with less frequent training. Varied ethical attitudes suggest communication priorities.