Alotaibi Ola, Alrayya Sarah, Alotaibi Shahad, Algoraini Yara
Pediatric Department, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Emergency Department, King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Front Pediatr. 2025 May 23;13:1575783. doi: 10.3389/fped.2025.1575783. eCollection 2025.
First aid (FA) knowledge is crucial for parents to effectively respond to pediatric emergencies, and it can potentially save lives and reduce injury severity. Despite the high rates of childhood accidents such as burns, choking, and drowning, limited data exist on parental awareness of FA in Saudi Arabia across various situations. The aim of this study was to assess parental knowledge and awareness regarding FA for children in Saudi Arabia.
This cross-sectional study using a self-administered electronic questionnaire was conducted via social networking sites between March and April 2024. The questionnaire was developed from a literature review and validated by experts. A total of 1,421 parents aged ≥18 years and residing in Saudi Arabia participated. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis.
The participants were predominantly women (59.3%), Saudi nationals (85.1%), married (90.6%), and university graduates (68.3%). While 73.6% believed they had good FA knowledge, only 25.6% had attended a formal FA course. With regard to knowledge gaps, 44.12% parents incorrectly believed that they should encourage a choking child aged <1 year to cough, while 61.44% incorrectly believed that ice should be applied to burns; only 51.02% parents knew that cool water should be run over burns. Logistic regression analysis showed that non-Saudi nationality and previous FA experience were significant predictors of willingness to attend FA courses ( = 0.045 and = 0.012, respectively). Barriers to FA knowledge included underestimation of the problem (39.3%) and lack of information from healthcare personnel (28.1%). Preferred methods for gaining FA knowledge were inclusion of FA in educational curricula (59.7%) and programs in primary healthcare centers (19.5%).
There are significant gaps in parental knowledge regarding FA for children in Saudi Arabia. These gaps need to be addressed through structured educational programs and accessible resources in order to enhance preparedness for pediatric emergencies among parents. Recommendations include implementation of FA training programs, integration of FA into school curricula, development of educational materials in Arabic, and promotion of mandatory FA training during prenatal and postnatal care visits.
急救知识对于家长有效应对儿科紧急情况至关重要，它有可能挽救生命并减轻伤害严重程度。尽管儿童烧伤、窒息和溺水等事故发生率很高，但沙特阿拉伯关于家长在各种情况下对急救的认知的数据有限。本研究的目的是评估沙特阿拉伯家长对儿童急救的知识和认知。
本横断面研究于2024年3月至4月通过社交网站使用自行填写的电子问卷进行。该问卷是根据文献综述编制的，并经专家验证。共有1421名年龄≥18岁且居住在沙特阿拉伯的家长参与。数据采用描述性统计和逻辑回归分析。
参与者主要为女性（59.3%）、沙特公民（85.1%）、已婚（90.6%）和大学毕业生（68.3%）。虽然73.6%的人认为自己有良好的急救知识，但只有25.6%的人参加过正规的急救课程。在知识差距方面，44.12%的家长错误地认为应该鼓励1岁以下窒息的儿童咳嗽，而61.44%的家长错误地认为应该用冰敷烧伤；只有51.02%的家长知道应该用冷水冲洗烧伤处。逻辑回归分析表明，非沙特国籍和以前的急救经验是参加急救课程意愿的重要预测因素（分别为=0.045和=0.012）。急救知识的障碍包括对问题的低估（39.3%）和医护人员信息不足（28.1%）。获取急救知识的首选方法是将急救纳入教育课程（59.7%）和初级医疗保健中心的项目（19.5%）。
沙特阿拉伯家长对儿童急救的知识存在重大差距。这些差距需要通过结构化的教育项目和可获取的资源来解决，以提高家长对儿科紧急情况的应对能力。建议包括实施急救培训项目、将急救纳入学校课程、开发阿拉伯语教育材料以及在产前和产后护理访视期间推广强制性急救培训。
