Abstract

Background: Burn injuries are dangerous, difficult, and more likely to cause complications in children. Objective: The purpose of the current study was to examine the knowledge and comprehension of emergency care for pediatric burns among Saudi and non-Saudi citizens. Methods: An observational, cross-sectional study was carried out over a six-month period in various Saudi Arabian regions. A structured survey was utilized to collect information from adult participants recruited through social media. This survey was piloted to guarantee its clarity and relevance. The sample size was estimated to allow for a 95% confidence level and a 5% margin of error. SPSS software was used to conduct statistical analyses on awareness levels, first aid knowledge, and demographic relationships. Results: Majority of participants was Saudi (94.7%), female (60.4%), single (54.9%) and less than 25 years old (51.9%). Only 124 (12.1%) participants had a high level of awareness. A total of 470 (45.9%), 338 (33%) and 216 (21.1%) participants had high, moderate and low knowledge scores, respectively. Also, 757 (73.9%), 231(22.6%) and 36 (3.5%) participants had positive, neutral and negative attitude, respectively. The majority of participants received their information through online resources (40.5%), social media (30%) and educational institutions (25%). Females’ participants had significantly better knowledge score. Also, significantly better attitude scores were noticed with participants who had children and who age > 25 years old. Likewise, students and employees had better awareness and knowledge scores compared to other occupations. Meanwhile, participants with advanced level of education (Master/PhD) had better scores. Conclusion: There is a lack of knowledge and practice of pediatric burn’s first aid. Thus, courses and training in first aid for burns and awareness campaigns are essential in order to improve the knowledge of the general Saudi population.

Key words: Pediatric Burns, Burn First Aid, Awareness, Attitudes, Knowledge.