{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,16]],"date-time":"2025-09-16T17:13:38Z","timestamp":1758042818448,"version":"3.44.0"},"reference-count":25,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,11]],"date-time":"2025-09-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1757548800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100013137","name":"National Institute of Corrections","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["D43TW012186"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["D43TW012186"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100013137","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\">\n<jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>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\u2019s two largest cities, known to have high incidence of RTIs.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n<jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>We conducted a cross-sectional survey of community members living along the N3 highway, between June 18<jats:sup>th<\/jats:sup> and August 16<jats:sup>th<\/jats:sup>, 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\u2009&lt;\u20090.05.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n<jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>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\u201340). 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\u2009\u2265\u200980%) 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\u20132.81, p\u2009=\u20090.046), primary education (aOR=4.20, 95% CI: 1.19\u20134.81, p\u2009=\u20090.026) and secondary education (aOR=4.70, 95% CI: 1.34\u201316.53, p\u2009=\u20090.016) compared to respondents with no formal education, prior witness of RTI (aOR=1.68, 95% CI: 1.055\u20132.68, p\u2009=\u20090.028), being aged between 30 and 40 years (aOR=1.82, 95% CI: 1.06\u20133.14, p\u2009=\u20090.031) and community members being able to call dedicated phone numbers to report RTIs (aOR=3.11, 95% CI: 1.28\u20137.54, p\u2009=\u20090.012).<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec004\">\n<jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>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.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0332179","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,11]],"date-time":"2025-09-11T17:42:32Z","timestamp":1757612552000},"page":"e0332179","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Community willingness to participate in prehospital injury care: A cross-sectional survey of injury-prone areas along the national 3 highway in Cameroon"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"20","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8395-6504","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Elvis Asangbeng","family":"Tanue","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9023-0632","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Casey","family":"Chun","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Alan","family":"Hubbard","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"OConnor","family":"Kathleen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Odette D.","family":"Kibu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Serge","family":"Ngekeng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Nicholas","family":"Tendongfor","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Nahyeni","family":"Bassah","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Sandra I.","family":"McCoy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Rasheedat","family":"Oke","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Isaac","family":"Obeng-Gyasi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Georges","family":"Nguefack-Tsague","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Dickson S.","family":"Nsagha","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Catherine","family":"Juillard","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7230-567X","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Alain","family":"Chichom-Mefire","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"S. Ariane","family":"Christie","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,11]]},"reference":[{"volume-title":"Injuries and violence","year":"2024","author":"World Health Organization","key":"pone.0332179.ref001"},{"volume-title":"Global Health Observatory: Mortality and global health estimates","year":"2024","author":"World Health Organization","key":"pone.0332179.ref002"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0332179.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"194","DOI":"10.1186\/s12873-024-01113-8","article-title":"Prehospital factors associated with mortality among road traffic injury patients: analysis of Cameroon trauma registry data","volume":"24","author":"S Ngekeng","year":"2024","journal-title":"BMC Emerg Med"},{"issue":"7","key":"pone.0332179.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pgph.0002875","article-title":"Bystander intervention is associated with reduced early mortality among injury victims in Cameroon","volume":"4","author":"K O\u2019Connor","year":"2024","journal-title":"PLOS Glob Public Health"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0332179.ref005","article-title":"Trauma Care in Low- and Middle-Income Countries","volume":"7","author":"D Shanthakumar","year":"2021","journal-title":"Surg J (N Y)"},{"volume-title":"Prehospital trauma care systems","year":"2005","author":"World Health Organization","key":"pone.0332179.ref006"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0332179.ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"546","DOI":"10.1017\/S1049023X20000977","article-title":"Developing a Lay First Responder Program in Chad: A 12-Month Follow-Up Evaluation of a Rural Prehospital Emergency Care Program","volume":"35","author":"CJ Hancock","year":"2020","journal-title":"Prehosp Disaster Med"},{"issue":"8","key":"pone.0332179.ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"673","DOI":"10.1136\/emermed-2011-200271","article-title":"The emergency first aid responder system model: using community members to assist life-threatening emergencies in violent, developing areas of need","volume":"29","author":"JH Sun","year":"2012","journal-title":"Emerg Med J"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0332179.ref009","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"111505","DOI":"10.1016\/j.injury.2024.111505","article-title":"Leveraging transportation providers to deploy lay first responder (LFR) programs in three sub-Saharan African countries without formal emergency medical services: Evaluating longitudinal impact and cost-effectiveness","volume":"55","author":"PG Delaney","year":"2024","journal-title":"Injury"},{"issue":"11","key":"pone.0332179.ref010","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2565","DOI":"10.1016\/j.injury.2020.09.001","article-title":"Evaluation of a Lay First Responder Program in Sierra Leone as a Scalable Model for Prehospital Trauma Care","volume":"51","author":"ZJ Eisner","year":"2020","journal-title":"Injury"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0332179.ref011","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"220","DOI":"10.1016\/j.surg.2024.02.030","article-title":"Future directions for emergency medical services development in low- and middle-income countries","volume":"176","author":"PG Delaney","year":"2024","journal-title":"Surgery"},{"volume-title":"Stakeholder-identified barriers and facilitators of prehospital care planning in Cameroon [abstract]","year":"2024","author":"K O\u2019Connor","key":"pone.0332179.ref012"},{"issue":"03","key":"pone.0332179.ref013","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"323","DOI":"10.4236\/jtts.2022.123020","article-title":"Atmosphere of Accidents along the Douala-Yaounde National Road in Cameroon: Hoofmarks, Drivers, Challenges and Proactive Options","volume":"12","author":"N Padison","year":"2022","journal-title":"JTTs"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0332179.ref014","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"422","DOI":"10.1016\/j.aap.2009.09.003","article-title":"Road traffic crashes on the Yaound\u00e9-Douala road section, Cameroon","volume":"42","author":"J Sobngwi-Tambekou","year":"2010","journal-title":"Accid Anal Prev"},{"key":"pone.0332179.ref015","unstructured":"The Guardian Post News Paper. 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[Cited Jul 18, 2025]. https:\/\/www.naturalearthdata.com\/downloads"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0332179.ref017","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"315","DOI":"10.1016\/j.afjem.2022.06.010","article-title":"Factors influencing willingness to intervene as bystanders among adult residents living in crash-prone areas in the Ashanti region of Ghana","volume":"12","author":"MS Duut","year":"2022","journal-title":"Afr J Emerg Med"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0332179.ref018","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0318087","article-title":"Exploring burn first aid knowledge and water lavage practices in Uganda: A cross-sectional study","volume":"20","author":"B Kasagga","year":"2025","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0332179.ref019","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"6","DOI":"10.1186\/s12873-017-0116-7","article-title":"A nationwide survey of first aid training and encounters in Norway","volume":"17","author":"HK Bakke","year":"2017","journal-title":"BMC Emerg Med"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0332179.ref020","first-page":"200","article-title":"Knowledge, attitude and practice of first aid and factors associated with practice among taxi drivers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia","volume":"31","author":"AA Teshale","year":"2017","journal-title":"Ethiop J Health Dev"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0332179.ref021","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"61","DOI":"10.1016\/j.afjem.2021.10.007","article-title":"Assessment of knowledge, attitude and practice of first aid among taxi operators in a Kampala City Taxi Park, Uganda: A cross-sectional study","volume":"12","author":"N Ssewante","year":"2022","journal-title":"Afr J Emerg Med"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0332179.ref022","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"258","DOI":"10.1016\/j.afjem.2023.09.001","article-title":"Implementation and evaluation of a pilot WHO community first aid responder training in Kinshasa, DR Congo: A mixed method study","volume":"13","author":"K Diango","year":"2023","journal-title":"Afr J Emerg Med"},{"issue":"12","key":"pone.0332179.ref023","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2017-018389","article-title":"Adapting the emergency first aid responder course for Zambia through curriculum mapping and blueprinting","volume":"7","author":"JL Pigoga","year":"2017","journal-title":"BMJ Open"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0332179.ref024","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"299","DOI":"10.1016\/j.afjem.2022.06.007","article-title":"Ten years of the community-based emergency first aid responder (EFAR) system in the Western Cape of South Africa: What has happened, what has changed, and what has been learned","volume":"12","author":"M Slingers","year":"2022","journal-title":"Afr J Emerg Med"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0332179.ref025","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"407","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jsurg.2022.10.007","article-title":"Effectiveness of \u201cStop the Bleed\u201d Courses: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis","volume":"80","author":"X Tang","year":"2023","journal-title":"J Surg Educ"}],"container-title":["PLOS One"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0332179","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,11]],"date-time":"2025-09-11T17:42:38Z","timestamp":1757612558000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0332179"}},"subtitle":[],"editor":[{"given":"Satabdi","family":"Mitra","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"editor","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,11]]},"references-count":25,"journal-issue":{"issue":"9","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,11]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0332179","relation":{},"ISSN":["1932-6203"],"issn-type":[{"type":"electronic","value":"1932-6203"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,11]]}}}