Assessment of Knowledge and Self Efficacy Before and After Teaching Basic Life Support to Schoolchildren

OBJECTIVE: Teaching basic life support to schoolchildren is well established as one of the most effective strategies in increasing bystander CPR rates. However, there is a lack of scientific evidence concerning the Portuguese pediatric population. The present study aims to evaluate the outcome of a basic life support training session on theoretical knowledge and self-efficacy, immediately after the training and 6 months later, in a pediatric population. METHODS: A total of 392 schoolchildren, aged seven to 12 years old, participated in this prospective longitudinal study, answering a questionnaire before, immediately after, and six months after receiving 120 minutes of resuscitation training from medical students. RESULTS: There was a significant increase in the knowledge and self-efficacy after one single training session. Both decreased over a period of six months but remained significantly higher than the baseline. These results were homogeneous across classes. CONCLUSIONS: Medical students provided adequate basic life support training to a group of Portuguese schoolchildren, with effects in the knowledge and self-efficacy lasting for at least six months.