Background
Childhood accidents and injuries are the leading causes of death among school-age children, the majority of whom need only first aid measures. First aid measures can make the difference between life and death if they are applied by experienced personnel. The main aim of this study was to assess first aid knowledge, attitudes, practices, and associated factors among primary school teachers in Jimma Town.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted. The data were collected through a self-administered and structured questionnaire. The data were analyzed with SPSS version 26 software. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to test the associations between dependent and independent variables, and a P value < 0.05 was declared statistically significant.
Results
The study revealed that only 44.8% of participants were knowledgeable. Service year (AOR: 10.7, 95% CI; 2.6, 44.7), school type (AOR: 11.8, 95% CI; 3.9, 34.9), and previous first aid training (AOR: 6.5, 95% CI; 2.5, 17.2) were significantly associated with the level of knowledge about first aid. Moreover, being a female teacher (AOR: 2.3, 95% CI: 1.4, 3.9), service year (AOR: 3.3, 95% CI: 1.7, 6.3), negative attitude (AOR: 0.4, 95% CI: 0.2, 0.7)) and first aid training (AOR: 0.3, 95% CI: 0.2, 0.7) were significantly associated with the level of practice in first aid.
Conclusion
The primary schoolteachers’ knowledge of first aid was low. Generally, there needs to be awareness creation for teachers by giving training on the knowledge and basic skills required in providing first aid.