Baseline evaluation of knowledge, awareness, and confidence in basic life-saving skills among refugee schoolchildren

Basic life-saving techniques, including first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), are essential in improving survival outcomes during out-of-hospital emergencies. However, little is known about the baseline knowledge, awareness, and confidence of refugee children in performing these skills. This study aimed to assess these parameters among school-aged refugee children attending a refugee education centre in Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia. A structured questionnaire, developed and validated by subject-matter experts, was used to evaluate participants’ sociodemographic characteristics, prior training exposure, self-reported confidence, and perceptions of the importance of life-saving skills. Sixty-one students aged 7–15 years participated. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise the data. Of the 61 respondents (male: 31 [50.8%]; female: 30 [49.2%]), most were aged 10–15 years. Only 16.4% had received school-based first-aid training, and 9.8% had attended community- based programmes. For CPR, training exposure was even lower (8.2% school-based; 3.3% community-based). Confidence in performing first aid was low, with only 7% reporting being “confident” and none “very confident.” Similarly, only 5% expressed confidence in performing CPR. Despite limited training, almost all respondents perceived learning first aid (95%) and CPR (98%) as “very important.” The study reveals a clear gap between perceived importance and actual preparedness in life-saving skills among refugee schoolchildren. These baseline findings underscore the need for structured, age-appropriate first aid and CPR training within refugee education settings. Insights from this study will guide the next phase of an ongoing action- research initiative to strengthen emergency preparedness among refugee youth.