2025 Volume 28 Issue 5 Pages 735-742
The proportion of elderly individuals in Japan is expected to continue rising, suggesting that opportunities for older adults to act as bystanders and perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) at home will increase. However, few medical studies in Japan have focused specifically on the quality of chest compressions performed by elderly individuals. This cross-sectional study aimed to examine the relationship between physical characteristics and the depth of chest compressions delivered by older adults. A total of 156 citizens aged 65 and over who participated in a physical fitness assessment in Yasu City, Shiga Prefecture, were enrolled. Participants who achieved an average compression depth of ≥5 cm were classified into the “effective” group, and associations with body weight and grip strength were analyzed. The results indicated that grip strength was significantly associated with effective chest compression, with a cutoff value of 23.1 kg. Body weight was also significantly higher in the effective group, suggesting a contribution to adequate compression depth. These findings imply that grip strength and body weight may serve as key indicators of chest compression quality. Therefore, CPR training and support for elderly individuals should take such physical characteristics into consideration.
