The Impact of Using the Iranian Red Crescent Society Educational Mobile App on Improving the Students’ Awareness of First Aids

Abstract

Background: The first aid educational mobile app (Khadem) developed by the Iranian Red Crescent Society provides the most important and simplest training of the first aids in crises for people. Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the impact of this mobile application on improving high school students’ awareness of first aids. Methods: In this quasi-experimental study (before and after using the mobile application), 51 students studying at high schools of Ahvaz city in the southwest of Iran were selected as the sample using simple random sampling method. Before the intervention, their awareness and mastery of the first aids were measured by a pre-test. Then, the mobile software was offered to them and one month later, they were asked to give another test. The scores obtained before and after the intervention were evaluated. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis using SPSS V.22. Results: Overall, the students' awareness of first aids was very low. In the intervention group, the mean score of the students’ awareness significantly increased after the intervention (offering mobile app) (P < 0.01). According to Spearman, Kruskal-Wallis, and Mann-Whitney tests, age, gender, and school grade had no impact on the mean scores obtained before and after the intervention (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Due to the various advantages and capabilities of smartphones and their popularity among students, they can provide a good opportunity to teach the students vital subjects such as the first aids, although this technology is yet to be officially included in the curriculum.