Background: Accidents may occur at any time and in any location. Unintentional accidents may have life-threatening consequences. Anyone with basic first aid knowledge can assess the situation and intervene to provide proper care. This research aims to assess public knowledge and attitudes toward first aid and its related aspects in Saudi Arabia.
Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted between April and May 2023 to investigate first aid knowledge, attitude, and associated factors among the general public of Saudi Arabia. This study's population consisted of Saudi Arabians aged at least 18 who are part of the general community. This research adapted and used a previously developed questionnaire to evaluate the general public's knowledge, attitudes, and other characteristics about first aid in Saudi Arabia. A binary logistic regression analysis was utilized to determine the variables that influence their knowledge and attitude.
Results: A total of 1135 participants were involved in this study. Almost one-third of the study participants (36.0%) reported that they had received training in first aid. The vast majority of the study participants (94.5%) reported that they had heard of first aid before. The media was the most commonly reported source of information on first aid (37.6%). Choking (63.2%), breathing difficulty (61.7%), and fainting (56.7%) were the most commonly reported indications (injuries or accidents) that need first aid. The mean knowledge score for the study participants was 4.4 (SD: 2.8) out of 8 (55.0%), which represents a moderate level of knowledge of first aid. The mean attitude score for the study participants was 22.5 (SD: 2.7) out of 28 (80.4%), which reflects a positive attitude toward first aid. Binary logistic regression analysis identified that women, those who have a higher education level, medical students, those with a high monthly income (7500 Saudi Arabian rials (SAR) and above), and those who work in the healthcare sector were more likely to be knowledgeable about first aid (p<0.05). Participants aged 31 to 40 years and university students were more likely to have a positive attitude toward first aid (p<0.05).
Conclusion: This research highlights the need to educate the public about first aid and emergency treatment. Even though one-third of participants have received first aid training, ongoing training is necessary. First aid information, especially on social media, is often unreliable. Choking, difficulty breathing, and syncope are typical first aid conditions, and awareness of dealing with choking is needed. Gender, socioeconomic status, and education influenced first aid knowledge and attitudes. Women, medical students, and healthcare workers knew more about first aid. Most participants supported first aid provision. This research strongly suggests improving awareness, providing inexpensive first-aid training, and targeting specific populations to improve first-aid knowledge and attitudes.
Keywords: attitude; first aid; knowledge; public; saudi arabia.
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