Comparison of the effectiveness of basic life support training among middle school and high school children in Northeast Indian population

Sudden cardiac arrest is a major public health concern with survival rates of less than 10% for out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in India. Integrating basic life support (BLS) training into school curricula is a promising strategy for widespread resuscitation education.

This quasi-experimental study aimed to compare the effectiveness of BLS training among middle school (class 6-8) and high school (class 9-10) students in Northeast India. A total of 106 students were enrolled, equally divided between the two groups. The training included a pretest to assess baseline knowledge, a 1-h theory session, and a practical session with manikin demonstrations. Post-training assessments evaluated both knowledge gain and practical skill performance. Twelve key cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skills were scored using a structured checklist based on the American Heart Association guidelines. Statistical analysis included paired t-tests for within-group comparisons and unpaired t-tests for between-group comparisons.

Middle school students showed significant improvement in knowledge scores (pretest mean: 11.9, posttest mean: 14.28; t = -11.85, p < 0.001). High school students also improved (pretest mean: 13.62, posttest mean: 14.83; t = -6.62, p < 0.001) but with a smaller effect size. In practical skills, high school students outperformed middle school students in key areas such as patient assessment and correct CPR rate. However, no significant differences were found in skills like hand placement and airway management across age groups.

BLS training is effective across age groups, but high school students exhibit superior skill retention and application. Early introduction and reinforcement during high school are recommended.