Assessing First Aid Knowledge Among Non-medical Freshmen: Implications for Educational Training Programs

Background and Purpose: First aid plays a critical role in emergency situations by providing immediate care that can prevent complications and save lives.However, knowledge and confidence in performing first aid remain limited among the general population, particularly among non-medical students who may be present during emergencies outside clinical settings.Understanding the current level of first aid knowledge among this group is essential for guiding educational interventions.This study assessed first aid knowledge among non-medical freshmen to identify gaps and inform improvements in educational training programs. Materials and Methods:This descriptive study was conducted at a tertiary university in Philippines.A stratified random sampling method was used to select 369 non-medical first-year students from three college programs.Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire with Likert scale items and analyzed using t-tests and ANOVA to identify significant differences in basic first aid knowledge. Results:The overall level of first aid knowledge among respondents was moderate.No significant differences were found between male (M=2.75-2.97)and female (M=2.81-3.07)students across all domains, including wound care, bleeding, burns, and choking (P>0.05).However, knowledge significantly varied by college program, with School of Education students scoring highest, particularly in bleeding control (M=2.96,P=0.001), burn care (M=2.95,P<0.01), and choking (M=3.06,P=0.009).Respondents with formal first aid training scored significantly higher than those without in all areas (P<0.01).Workshop participants had the highest mean scores (wound care M = 3.52; bleeding control M=3.36), followed by those with multiple training types, while all training formats showed statistically significant differences (P<0.01)Conclusion: While first aid knowledge among non-medical students was moderate, the significant impact of program affiliation and prior training underscores the need for integrating structured, practical first aid education into university curricula.Strengthening such initiatives can foster a more prepared student population, contributing to improved emergency response outcomes and broader public health resilience.