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Published on: December 9, 2022
Water safety: age-specific changes in knowledge and attitudes following a school-based intervention
Agis Terzidis1, Anastasia Koutroumpa, Ilias Skalkidis
1Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Athens University Medical School, Athens, Greece.
Summary
A school-based water safety intervention significantly improved knowledge and attitudes in very young children. Older students showed minimal gains, suggesting a need for alternative approaches to modify behavior in elementary and high school pupils.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Pediatric Education
- Water Safety
Background:
- Water safety knowledge and attitudes are crucial for preventing drowning incidents.
- Educational interventions during mandatory schooling can potentially influence these factors.
- Age-specific strategies may be necessary for effective water safety education.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the impact of a school-based intervention on water safety knowledge and attitudes.
- To determine if the intervention yields age-specific changes across different educational levels.
- To inform the development of targeted water safety educational programs.
Main Methods:
- An educational package was developed based on age-specific questionnaire data from kindergarten, elementary, and high school students.
- The intervention was delivered to students in Greater Athens.
- Post-intervention evaluation used the same questionnaires to measure changes in knowledge and attitudes, adjusting for demographic factors.
Main Results:
- Kindergarten and first-grade pupils showed significant improvements in both water safety knowledge (17.40%) and attitudes (23.64%) after the intervention.
- Elementary school pupils exhibited smaller, less significant gains in knowledge (14.58%) and minimal changes in attitudes (5.64%).
- High school pupils demonstrated no significant improvement in knowledge (-0.15%) and only a slight, insignificant increase in attitudes (6.32%).
Conclusions:
- School-based water safety interventions are highly effective for very young children.
- Elementary schooling offers limited opportunities for substantial knowledge improvement in water safety.
- Alternative or complementary educational approaches are recommended for older students to effectively modify behavior.
