Abstract:
Introduction: First aid emphasises basic emergency care skills aimed at providing immediate
assistance before professional medical help arrives and more often prior first aid leads to better
clinical outcomes. Therefore, evaluating general populations’ knowledge and attitudes aids in
identifying educational needs and improving early interventions.
Objective: To assess knowledge, attitudes and perceived barriers regarding first aid and
associated factors among patients attending Base Hospital, Wathupitiwala, Sri Lanka
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 422 patients attending Base
Hospital, Wathupitiwala. A self-administered questionnaire developed based on previous literature
was used to collect data. Data were analysed using SPSS version 25.0. Descriptive statistics and
Chi-square tests were performed.
Results: Of the participants 51.4% (n=217) were females, 36.7% (n=155) were aged 20-30 years
and 46% (n=194) were educated up to Advanced Level. Among the participants, 96.9% (n=409)
did not have formal first aid training. Only 17% (n=72) demonstrated good level of knowledge
regarding first aid with a mean±SD score of 45±24.3. The primary source of first aid knowledge
was media (43.1%, n=182). Most participants (70.9%, n=299) had a positive attitude with a
mean±SD score of 68.6±8.67. There were significant associations found between knowledge with
age (p<0.000), gender (p=0.002), and previous first aid training (p=0.009). Fear (80.6%, n=340),
lack of knowledge (78.2%, n=330), and lack of equipment (69.2%, n=292) were found as the key
barriers to perform first aid.
Conclusion: The findings highlight a significant gap in first aid knowledge among patients,
despite their positive attitudes and good practices. The lack of formal training and key barriers
such as fear and inadequate resources emphasize the urgent need for structured first aid education
programs to improve first aid competency in the community and patient safety
