Knowledge, Attitudes and Perceived Barriers Regarding First Aid and Associated Factors among Patients Attending Base Hospital, Wathupitiwala, Sri Lanka

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