Preliminary results of teaching first aid to 5–6 year old children – a longitudinal study

Abstract

Objective: Basic lifesaving activities should be taught in early childhood to develop helping attitude. Our goal was to teach up-to-date theoretical and practical basic first aid using the method of play for kindergarten children. Methods: 51 children visiting kindergarten in two areas of Hungary were involved in the survey, which took place between September and November 2011. The training consisted of two sessions with theoretical and practical games about first aid. As well as the first steps, which concerned how to examine and handle an unconscious patient and how to call an ambulance, the most frequently occurring injuries were also performed in different playful situations. In the third session, children were tested on their skills and a month later they were re-tested. The tests measured the children's problem-solving skills and their basic knowledge about different scenarios requiring first aid. The statistical analysis was made with the SPSS 17.0 software using the Chi-square test and t-test. Results: The maximum point score of the test was 38 points. The average point score of the first test was 16.94 points and the second resulted in higher scores (17.5 points). The difference between the results was significant (p < 0.05). The results showed attitudinal differences between boys and girls (p < 0.05). Conclusions: 5 and 6 year old kindergarten children can learn the basic concepts, but fewer children are able to act adequately in complex situations. A playful method of teaching first aid can improve children's knowledge and helping attitude.