Knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding pressure injury prevention among prehospital emergency medical personnel: a cross-sectional survey

Objective To assess the current knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding pressure injury (PI) among pre-hospital emergency medical personnel and analyze the influencing factors, aiming to provide evidence for the development of relevant training and educational programs in emergency centers. Methods A convenience sampling method was used to select pre-hospital emergency medical personnel from eight cities in Jiangsu Province as study participants between January and March 2025. Data were collected using a general information questionnaire and a PI knowledge-attitudes-practices (PI KAP) questionnaire. Univariate analysis and multiple linear regression were performed to explore the influencing factors. The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines were applied. Results A total of 251 valid questionnaires were collected, with an effective response rate of 95.8%. The total score for the pre-hospital emergency medical personnel's PI KAP questionnaire was 121.2 ± 19.1, corresponding to a score rate of 78.2%. Among the participants, 51.8% exhibited suboptimal knowledge of PI prevention, 68.5% held a positive attitude toward PI prevention, and 56.6% reported that PI prevention practices were not consistently implemented. Multivariable linear regression analysis showed that female, longer work experience, being a nurse, and senior professional title were associated with higher total PI-related KAP scores or higher scores in specific domains, whereas a master's degree or higher and no participation in PI-related training were associated with lower total or domain-specific scores. Notably, no participation in PI-related training was associated with lower total KAP and lower scores across the knowledge, attitude, and practice domains. Conclusion Prehospital emergency medical personnel exhibited a positive attitude toward PI prevention, but their knowledge and practices did not reach the desired level. It is recommended to enhance PI-related training, particularly in knowledge dissemination and the implementation of practices, to further improve the PI prevention capabilities of pre-hospital emergency medical personnel, ensuring skin safety for patients during transport.