Effects of an Emergency Medical Literacy Promotion Program on Emergency Medical Literacy among Thai Adolescents

Abstract

      Aim of this study to examine the effects of emergency medical literacy program on emergency medical literacy for Thai students. The study involved 680 students from the 7^th and 12^th health regions, who were randomly divided into experimental and control groups of 340 each using cluster randomization. The experimental group received the emergency medical literacy program for one month; the control group was advised to continue their daily lives as usual. A tool to measure emergency medical literacy, which consists of six dimensions, and data were collected before and after the experiment. The data were analyzed between the experimental and control groups using Independent t-test and within-group comparisons using Paired t-test, with a statistical significance level 0.05.

      The result found that the experimental group had total emergency medical knowledge score 240.82, while the control group had total score of 219.10, a difference of 21.72 points (95%CI=17.26 to 26.18), statistically significant (p<0.001). When analyzed by dimension, it was found that Dimension 1, access to information and health services, had score difference 6.21 points (95%CI=5.10 to 7.33), statistically significant (p<0.001). Dimension 2, knowledge, ability to recognize emergencies, and procedures, score difference of 4.47 points (95%CI=4.16 to 4.78), statistically significant (p<0.001). Dimension 3, communication skills, score difference of 4.17 points (95%CI=2.70 to 5.64), statistically significant (p<0.001). Dimension 4, self-management skills, score difference 2.90 points (95%CI=1.82 to 3.97), statistically significant (p<0.001). Dimension 5, decision-making skills, score difference 2.06 points (95%CI=0.89 to 3.24), statistically significant (p<0.001). Dimension 6, media literacy, score difference of 1.91 points (95%CI=1.17 to 2.65), statistically significant (p<0.001).