Elements Impacting Performance in Completing a University First Aid Course

First aid training is key to an effective response to emergencies, especially for university students. However, the effectiveness of these programmes and the influence of variables such as gender, interest, perceived importance, and prior knowledge has had little study. The objectives of this study were as follows: (a) to analyse the effectiveness of a first aid university course on the acquisition and consolidation of knowledge; (b) to evaluate differences based on gender; (c) to explore the influence of interest, importance and self-perceived level; and (d) to determine the factors that predict the final mark after training. A total of 100 university students participated and completed a 60-hour course. A questionnaire was administered before and after the training to assess their knowledge of basic first aid procedures, wounds, trauma, allergies, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and use of the automated external defibrillator (AED), as well as confidence in the responses. The course was associated with significant improvements in acquired and consolidated knowledge across most contents, except for basic first aid procedures. No differences were found by gender, interest, or perceived relevance, whereas students with higher prior knowledge showed gains in CPR and AED. Attendance, perceived relevance, and consolidated knowledge predicted the final mark. The course appears to have effectively contributed to the acquisition and consolidation of first aid knowledge among Sports Science students, highlighting the value of structured training that integrates theory and practice. Although gender, interest, and perceived importance may theoretically influence learning, their impact appears to depend on the context. These results support the implementation of mandatory modules and simulation-based workshops to improve competence, confidence, and learning outcomes among Sports Science students, although further research in this and other areas is needed to corroborate these findings.