Effectiveness of First Aid Training at Home for Grandparents Caring Grandchildren under ۵ Years Old: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: This study aimed to raise awareness about home accidents among grandparents caring for their grandchildren and reduce the number of accidents involving children under the age of five and the risk of premature death by offering first aid training sessions. Methods: This study was a randomized controlled trial. The statistical population consisted of ۷۶ older parents in a daycare center in Shiraz, southern Iran, who met the inclusion criteria. They were selected using random sampling and divided into two groups using simple random sampling. The intervention group attended eight first-aid training sessions throughout the study. Protection motivation theory (PMT)-based questionnaires on first aid knowledge and home accidents were distributed among the older parents before and after the intervention. They then participated in a first-aid practice test. The data were analyzed using SPSS and JAMOVI software. Results: Independent samples t-test results indicated a significant difference between the intervention and control groups in the 'first aid skills and knowledge' and 'home accident prevention index' scores in both the pre- and post-test phases, suggesting that this educational intervention helped increase grandparents' awareness [knowledge] (p<۰.۰۰۱). The findings also demonstrated a significant increase in first aid knowledge/skills and home accident prevention following a two-month