Improving Elementary School Children's Knowledge in Initial Injury Management through First Aid Socialization

Abstract

Primary school children represent an active age group, where playing, running, and engaging in physical exercise form an essential part of their daily routines. Alongside these activities, however, lies the risk of various unfavorable conditions, including minor injuries, fainting, nosebleeds, and choking. Consequently, children at the primary school level should be equipped with fundamental knowledge of initial treatment or first aid for injuries that may occur during such activities. Providing children with this knowledge is crucial to minimize the severity of incidents, prevent secondary infections, accelerate recovery, and in certain situations, even save lives. This community service initiative was carried out with fifth- and sixth-grade students at MIN Gampong Piyeung, Montasik District, Aceh Besar Regency. The activity was structured into several stages: it began with the distribution of a pre-test questionnaire to evaluate the students’ baseline understanding of first aid, followed by the delivery of socialization sessions on relevant first aid materials, and concluded with a post-test assessment. Observations demonstrated a significant improvement in knowledge following the intervention, reflected by an average score increase of 59.1%. These results highlight that socialization-based learning is an effective method for enhancing the basic knowledge and readiness of primary school children in responding to injuries in a proper and independent manner. Overall, this program emphasizes the importance of instilling first aid awareness at an early age as a preventive measure that can foster safer school environments and support children’s physical and social development.