Assessment of knowledge, attitude and practice on first aid management of choking and associated factors among kindergarten teachers in Addis Ababa governmental schools, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A cross-sectional institution-based study

Abstract

Background Choking refers to a blockage of upper airways by food or other objects resulting in interruption of breathing. It is a medical emergency that needs immediate action by anyone near by the victim to save life. Chocking is a major cause of illness and death in the pediatric population under the age of 5 years. Children at this age spent more time in their school and are at high risk during their feeding and playing. Immediate provision of first aid in response to choking by a preschool teacher will help to decrease the risk of developing life-threatening complications, length of hospital stays, the cost of treatment, and death. Methods Institutional-based cross-sectional study design was applied to the study area using pretested, structured, and self-administered questionnaires. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS version 25. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with Knowledge, attitude, and practice of kindergarten teachers towards first aid management of choking. Results A total of 224 Kindergarten teachers were involved in the study with a response rate of 95%. Only eighty-three (37%) of them were knowledgeable and 97 (43.3%) have faced a choked child in the school compound. Of these, only 42 (43.2%) had provided first aid to the victim. Most of the respondents 95.1% had a positive attitude towards choking first aid and 57.1% of them agreed that choking needs immediate management. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that Kindergarten teachers with the previous first aid training were 2.9 times more knowledgeable than those kindergarten teachers without previous first aid training (AOR: 2.902, 95% CI: 1.612, 5.227) Conclusions The level of knowledge and skills for providing first aid for choking children among kindergarten teachers is low. There is a need for urgent intervention to train teachers regarding the provision of first aid for choking children.

Knowledge and misconceptions of choking and first-aid procedures among Syrian adults: A cross-sectional study

“… 30 Furthermore, in Addis Ababa, 37.6% of kindergarten teachers exhibited proficiency in choking initial aid procedures. 31 Collectively, these findings show variable levels of knowledge in different communities about choking—a potentially fatal incident that can be resolved with simple first-aid procedures.…”

“…Several studies conducted in various countries, including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Ethiopia, and Japan, have explored awareness and knowledge related to choking. 23 – 33 Our literature review revealed a widespread lack of knowledge about choking in many countries. Notably, a study conducted in Saudi Arabia revealed that 61.3% of parents in the Al Qassim region and 65.4% of parents in Makkah possessed inadequate knowledge regarding choking, with 55.3% of parents in Al Qassim and 78.6% of parents in Makkah exhibiting unsatisfactory practices.…”

“… 30 Furthermore, in Addis Ababa, a mere 37.6% of kindergarten teachers exhibited proficiency in choking initial aid procedures. 31 Two additional studies conducted in Saudi Arabia, one targeting middle and high school students and the other targeting female university students, highlighted the low level of knowledge regarding choking. 23 , 24 However, none of these studies have specifically examined the prevalence of misconceptions surrounding first-aid procedures for choking.…”

Teacher Preparedness for Medical Emergencies in Belgian Classrooms: Studying Objective and Subjective First-Aid Knowledge

“…A Turkish study showed that 46% of respondents had received information about first aid or attended a first-aid course [ 16 ]. According to an Ethiopian study, 46% of respondents had received a first-aid course [ 17 ], while two studies in Saudi Arabia showed that 26% and 30% of respondents had attended a first-aid course, respectively [ 18 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 ]. Taken together, the findings of the present study clearly indicate that a considerably larger share of Belgian teachers have some experience with first-aid courses, compared with select countries in Africa and Asia.…”

“…When focusing on first-aid knowledge among primary school teachers in Flanders, no studies have been conducted on this topic to the best of our knowledge. Studies investigating teachers’ first-aid knowledge in other countries have shown that it is often insufficient [ 2 , 7 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 ], and first-aid training is paramount to improve this knowledge [ 26 , 27 ]. The aim of this study is to map the objective and subjective first-aid knowledge among teachers in primary education (kindergarten and primary education) in Flanders, Belgium, and to study which individual characteristics are linked with the subjective and objective knowledge of first aid.…”