Effect of an Educational Intervention on CPR Knowledge and Skills in Schoolchildren

April 8, 2025 updated by: Diana Maria Blanco Avila, Universidad Nacional de Colombia

Effect of an Educational Intervention on CPR Knowledge and Skills in 7- and 8-Year-Old Schoolchildren: A Non-Randomized Controlled Trial

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a CPR intervention for children aged 7 and 8. Given the high prevalence of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) and the proven benefits of early CPR training, the study seeks to determine whether a structured intervention can improve young children's knowledge and skills in basic life support.

What is the effect of a CPR training intervention on the knowledge and skills of 7- and 8-year-old schoolchildren?

Cardiac arrest is a leading cause of mortality worldwide. Research shows that survival rates increase significantly when CPR is performed promptly by a trained bystander. Countries with early CPR training programs in schools, such as Norway and Denmark, report better survival outcomes. However, in Latin America, CPR education in schools is still in its early stages. Evidence suggests that children can effectively learn and retain CPR knowledge, and they can serve as multipliers by passing their knowledge to family and peers.

Study Design:

This is a non-randomized, double-blind controlled trial with four phases:

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Intervention Design - Developing an age-appropriate CPR training intervention based on educational and cognitive development theories.

Content Validation - Experts in child education and health professionals will assess the content and delivery methods.

Validation of Assessment Tools - Ensuring reliability in measuring children's CPR knowledge and skills.

Intervention Implementation and Evaluation - The intervention will be conducted in schools, with pre- and post-tests assessing knowledge and skills retention after 3 months.

Expected Outcomes:

Improved knowledge and skill levels in CPR among children who receive the intervention.

Validation of a structured educational approach for teaching CPR to young children.

Contribution to global evidence on CPR education and its potential impact in Bogotá schools.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

388

Phase

  • 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 Locations

  • Colombia
    • Distrito Capital
      • Bogotá, Distrito Capital, Colombia, 111321
        • Universidad Nacional de Colombia

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

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Schoolchildren aged between 7 and 8 years.
  • Students enrolled in an educational institution that has authorized their participation in the study.
  • Not participating in any other intervention or educational program related to CPR during the study period.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Students whose parents, legal guardians, teachers, or the students themselves report any health condition that prevents them from participating in the study.
  • Students who indicate having received prior training in CPR or related skills.
  • Students whose parents, legal guardians, or teachers report any cognitive condition that limits their ability to understand and follow the instructions necessary to learn and practice CPR in simulated scenarios.

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: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Triple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Intervention Arm
This group of students receives the structured educational program designed to teach the first link in the chain of survival, specifically tailored for their age. The intervention is delivered in the school setting and focuses on enhancing the knowledge and practical CPR skills of 7- and 8-year-old children.
Other: Intervention for Teaching the First Link in the Chain of Survival to 7- and 8-Year-Old Children
Unlike traditional CPR training programs designed primarily for older children or adults, this intervention is uniquely tailored for 7- and 8-year-old schoolchildren. It employs a narrative-based, age-appropriate educational approach that incorporates storytelling, interactive activities, and practical simulation exercises aligned with the cognitive and motor development of young learners. Delivered by school nurses in a classroom setting, the program not only focuses on teaching the first link in the chain of survival but also ensures that its content and methods are rigorously validated by experts. Moreover, the intervention includes a follow-up evaluation at three months to assess the retention of knowledge and skills, distinguishing it from other clinical studies that lack such long-term assessment.
Placebo Comparator: Control Arm
This group does not receive the CPR educational intervention during the study period but will receive a first aid intervention that does not include teaching the first link in the chain of survival. This group serves as a reference to compare and evaluate the effectiveness of the program implemented in the intervention group.
Other: Placebo Intervention - First Aid (Excluding Basic CPR)
In the control arm, participants receive a structured first aid educational program that intentionally excludes any training on the first link in the chain of survival. This intervention focuses on general first aid skills-such as wound care, management of minor injuries, and other non-cardiac emergency procedures-ensuring that no content related to recognizing a cardiac emergency or activating the emergency response system is provided. Delivered in a classroom setting by qualified personnel, the program is designed to mirror the overall structure, duration, and engagement level of the CPR intervention without overlapping its core content. Expert validation has been obtained to confirm that the curriculum remains neutral and strictly adheres to general first aid, thereby serving as a robust comparator to isolate the specific effects of CPR training in young schoolchildren.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in knowledge and practical skills in basic CPR-specifically, the first link in the chain of survival
Time Frame: 3 moths
The primary outcome measure for this study is the change in knowledge and practical skills in basic CPR-specifically, the first link in the chain of survival-among 7- and 8-year-old schoolchildren. This will be assessed through a structured pre- and post-intervention questionnaire that evaluates theoretical understanding of CPR and an observational checklist used during simulated scenarios to gauge practical skill execution.
3 moths

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Universidad Nacional de Colombia

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

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 (Estimated)

May 1, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

August 15, 2025

Study Completion (Estimated)

September 1, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

March 20, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 8, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

April 16, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

April 16, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 8, 2025

Last Verified

April 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • AVAL 20-24 (Other Identifier: Universidad Nacional de Colombia)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

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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