Training on the Heimlich Maneuver for Mothers of Children With Disabilities

July 9, 2026 updated by: Emel AVÇİN, University of Yalova

For a Safe Breath: Training on the Heimlich Maneuver for Mothers of Children With Disabilities in Cases of Foreign Body Obstruction

Foreign body obstruction is one of the most common causes of medical emergencies, particularly in childhood, and can lead to fatal outcomes if not treated promptly and correctly. Therefore, this study aims to examine the effect of hands-on Heimlich maneuver training for mothers of children with disabilities on the mothers' knowledge, skills, self-efficacy, and anxiety levels. Conducted as a randomized controlled trial, the study is planned to include 70 mothers (experimental group: 35, control group: 35) of children aged 1-8 years attending a private rehabilitation center in the Besni district of Adıyaman. Data collection tools will consist of a demographic information form, a Heimlich maneuver knowledge and skill test, and self-efficacy and anxiety scales. A pilot study will be conducted to evaluate the validity and reliability of the data collection tools, test their comprehensibility for the mothers, and identify potential problems that may arise during implementation. Prior to the start of the training, the knowledge levels of all mothers will be assessed via a questionnaire. The Heimlich maneuver training provided to mothers in the experimental group will be delivered hands-on using a pediatric Heimlich mannequin. One month after the training, a post-test will be administered to the mothers. Mothers in the control group will be informed about the study during the initial interview and will take a pre-test. One month after the training, the mothers will take the post-test. Mothers in the control group will be informed about the study during the initial interview and will take the pre-test. The post-test will be administered one month later, after which the mothers in this group will also receive maneuver training. The mothers' pre-test and post-test scores will be compared both within and between groups.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
70

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Be a mother of a child with a disability, aged 1-8, who is enrolled in a rehabilitation center.
  2. Be 18 years of age or older.
  3. Be able to read and understand the research protocol, provide written informed consent, and agree to participate.
  4. Be physically able to participate in the training (standing/model-based exercises).

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Must have previously received professional Heimlich maneuver/first aid training (those who have taken a course within the last 2 years).
  2. Those who are unable to participate in hands-on training due to physical limitations (e.g., severe heart disease, mobility issues).
  3. Individuals determined to be unsuitable for training or assessments due to psychiatric or neurological conditions.
  4. Children with severe respiratory system disorders (e.g., tracheostomy, severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia),
  5. Children who have undergone heart surgery or have a serious cardiac anomaly,
  6. Children with severe orthopedic or neurological disabilities for whom performing the Heimlich maneuver may be risky,
  7. Children with congenital anomalies of the trachea or upper respiratory tract (e.g., tracheoesophageal fistula),
  8. Children requiring mechanical ventilator support or continuous oxygen therapy.
  9. Withdrawing from participation during the study or failing to attend any of the training/testing sessions.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: intervention group
Mothers in the experimental group will receive training on how to perform the Heimlich maneuver for foreign-body obstruction in children with disabilities. The training will include theoretical instruction and hands-on demonstrations using a mannequin. Each mother will first receive theoretical and practical instruction, then be asked to perform the maneuver, and her performance will be evaluated through a skills test. She will continue practicing until she performs the maneuver correctly. Training will be provided one-on-one to each mother in a room assigned by the institution, lasting an average of 30-45 minutes. A visually supported informational guide will be shared via cell phone so that mothers can refer to it as needed. The practical steps in this training are based on the first aid guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Turkey. The Heimlich Maneuver for children covers children aged 1-8 years (APA, 2017).
Behavioral: Heimlich Maneuver training
The Heimlich Maneuver training materials were prepared based on the first aid guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Turkey. A guide supported by visuals was also prepared to serve as a reminder. The training was demonstrated hands-on using a mannequin, and participants then practiced the technique under the supervision of a parent.
No Intervention: Control group
Mothers in the control group do not receive the training provided to the experimental group. However, these mothers are asked not to receive any external Heimlich Maneuver training during the study period. Once all data collection and analysis processes are complete, mothers in the control group will also receive the same high-quality Heimlich Maneuver training free of charge. A visually supported informational guide will be shared via cell phone so that mothers can refer to it when needed.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Heimlich Knowledge Test
Time Frame: Baseline, Week 4, and Week 8
Parental first aid knowledge was assessed using a researcher-developed 12-item multiple-choice knowledge test. The test includes questions on recognition of foreign body obstruction, correct first aid steps, calling for emergency assistance, and age-group-specific application knowledge. Each correct answer was scored as 1 point and incorrect answers as 0 points. Total scores range from 0 to 12, with higher scores indicating better first aid knowledge.
Baseline, Week 4, and Week 8
Parental Self-Efficacy Scale
Time Frame: Baseline, Week 4, and Week 8
Parental self-efficacy was assessed using the Parental Self-Efficacy Scale. The scale consists of 17 items rated on a 7-point Likert scale. Total scores range from 17 to 119, with higher scores indicating higher parental self-efficacy.
Baseline, Week 4, and Week 8
Beck Anxiety Inventory Score
Time Frame: Baseline, Week 4, and Week 8
Anxiety symptoms were assessed using the Beck Anxiety Inventory. The scale consists of 21 items rated on a 4-point Likert scale. Each item is scored from 0 to 3, resulting in a total score ranging from 0 to 63. Higher total scores indicate greater severity of anxiety symptoms.
Baseline, Week 4, and Week 8

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Yalova

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Study Director: EMEL AVÇİN, Assist Prof, Adiyaman University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
June 1, 2016

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
September 30, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
November 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
July 4, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 9, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
July 13, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
July 13, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 9, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • Heimlich Ma.

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Individual participant data (IPD) will not be shared.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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