Understanding prehospital delays, emergency medical services use, and care for acute coronary syndrome in culturally and linguistically diverse immigrant populations in Australia

Timely treatment is critical for surviving a heart attack, yet many people delay seeking care due to personal, cultural, or system-related factors. This thesis examines differences in heart attack symptom knowledge, treatment-seeking behaviours, and prehospital care between culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) and non-CALD populations and identifies specific CALD subgroups for targeted interventions. The findings provide important insights into the treatment-seeking behaviours and prehospital care of CALD populations experiencing heart attacks and will inform the development of culturally tailored strategies to improve early symptom recognition, timely response, and equitable access to emergency services.