{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,10]],"date-time":"2026-07-10T12:14:34Z","timestamp":1783685674854,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":24,"publisher":"BMJ","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,10]],"date-time":"2026-07-10T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1783641600000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":9,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["bmj.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["BMJ Open"],"accepted":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,23]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,7]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objectives<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>To assess the level of knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding choking first aid among the general population in the West Bank.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Design<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A descriptive cross-sectional study.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Setting<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>West Bank, Palestine (web-based survey).<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Participants<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>454 Palestinian adults aged 18 years and above.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Primary outcome measures<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>General knowledge concerning signs of choking, misconceptions and proper first-aid manoeuvres (such as the Heimlich manoeuvre and back blows) was assessed. Analysis was performed using SPSS V.26.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A cumulative total of 454 participants took the online survey. Although 55.7% of the participants defined choking accurately, there was still room for improvement in the actual management of this condition. Fewer participants (46.7%) could recognise the picture of the Heimlich manoeuvre and only 14.8% could state the appropriate management for vulnerable groups such as pregnant patients. Harmful misunderstandings existed, with 26% of participants endorsing the blind finger sweep and 32.8% offering water to a choking victim. Multivariable analysis revealed that higher knowledge scores were independently predicted by having a medical background (p=0.007) and previous formal training in first aid (p=0.019).<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The general public in this region has shown moderately good theoretical knowledge about choking but lacks competence in practical first aid training and has a remarkably low level of safe practices. There is an urgent need for organised community-based training programmes for first aid in an attempt to bring down morbidity and mortality from choking.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2026-118985","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,10]],"date-time":"2026-07-10T11:20:29Z","timestamp":1783682429000},"page":"e118985","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/crossmarkpolicy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Knowledge and misconceptions regarding choking and first-aid procedures among the general population in the West Bank, Palestine: a cross-sectional study"],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0006-0972-164X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ahmad","family":"Hamammdi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Palestine Polytechnic University, Hebron, Palestine"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0007-5897-9185","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mohammad F","family":"Zhour","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Palestine Polytechnic University, Hebron, Palestine"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0001-1408-6744","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Fares Ahmad","family":"Melhem","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Palestine Polytechnic University, Hebron, Palestine"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0006-7652-3213","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Shaymaa N S","family":"Tamimi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Palestine Polytechnic University, Hebron, Palestine"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0008-0775-0521","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Qusai","family":"Belbaisi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Palestine Polytechnic University, Hebron, Palestine"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mohanad S O","family":"Jaber","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Palestine Polytechnic University, Hebron, Palestine"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0011-4203","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Bashar Yaser Hasan","family":"Awad","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Palestine Polytechnic University, Hebron, Palestine"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,10]]},"reference":[{"key":"2026071004201627000_16.7.e118985.1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1002\/ams2.741","article-title":"Airway obstruction time and outcomes in patients with foreign body airway obstruction: multicenter observational choking investigation","volume":"9","author":"Igarashi","year":"2022","journal-title":"Acute Med Surg"},{"key":"2026071004201627000_16.7.e118985.2","unstructured":"Dodson H , Sharma S , Cook J . 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