The effect of first aid training on first aid knowledge levels among parents of children with special needs

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a structured and practical first aid training program provided to parents of children with special needs and to examine changes in their first aid knowledge levels. This study was designed as a pretest–posttest quasi-experimental study with a control group and was conducted with parents of children with special needs attending a special education and rehabilitation center in Sivas, Türkiye. A total of 60 parents who voluntarily agreed to participate were included in the study. After ensuring homogeneity based on pretest scores, participants were randomly assigned to the experimental ( n = 30) and control ( n = 30) groups. The children of the participating parents were aged between 3 and 18 years and represented various diagnostic groups (intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder, down syndrome, and physical disabilities) with different levels of support needs. The experimental group received a structured and practical first aid training program consisting of 16 h over four weeks (4 h per week), while no training was provided to the control group during this period. Data were collected using the “Personal Information Form” and the “First Aid Knowledge Form” and analyzed using SPSS 26.0 software. A statistically significant increase was observed in the first aid knowledge levels of the experimental group between pretest and posttest ( p < .05). Although a slight increase was also observed in the control group, the increase in the experimental group was significantly higher than that of the control group ( p < .001). The improvement observed in the control group may be attributed to test effects and increased awareness. Structured and practical first aid training programs for parents of children with special needs significantly improve their knowledge levels and contribute to correcting incorrect or incomplete information. These findings highlight the critical importance of first aid training for parents responsible for the care of children with special needs.