Early Exposure to Applied Health Science Through First-Aid Education: Students’ Perceptions and Academic Interest
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65150/EP-jsshrs/V2E9/2026-09Keywords:
academic interest, applied health science, educational outreach, experiential learning, first aid, high school studentsAbstract
Background: First-aid education provides adolescents with practical emergency-response skills while introducing fundamental concepts of applied health science. Beyond emergency preparedness, experiential health-science outreach may also provide opportunities for early academic engagement. This study aimed to describe students’ perceptions, academic interests, and higher-education engagement following participation in a first-aid educational seminar and practical workshop.
Methods: A post-intervention cross-sectional study was conducted among high school students participating in a first-aid educational outreach program in Semarang, Indonesia. The intervention combined theoretical explanation, case-based discussion, demonstration, and practical exposure covering syncope, bleeding, choking, and sports-related injuries. Immediately following the program, participants completed an online questionnaire assessing academic interests, institutional perceptions, factors influencing university choice, and enrollment readiness. Data were analyzed using descriptive and exploratory statistical methods.
Results: A total of 78 students participated, of whom 25 (32.1%) expressed interest in health-related fields. Favorable responses were reported by more than 80% of participants across all four evaluated perception items. Scholarships (62.8%), university values (61.5%), educational costs (57.7%), and availability of preferred study programs (56.4%) were the most frequently reported considerations when selecting a university. Overall, 50 students (64.1%) reported a fairly high or very high likelihood of recommending the university, while 38 (48.7%) expressed willingness to proceed with enrollment. Enrollment willingness was descriptively higher among students reporting greater institutional consideration, although the exploratory association did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.070).
Conclusion: First-aid outreach may provide an accessible platform for early exposure to applied health science while simultaneously facilitating academic engagement among high school students. Further pre–post and longitudinal studies are needed to determine whether such exposure influences subsequent academic interests and educational choices.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Ian Pranandi, Gabriella Diandra Anindito, Brigita Christabel Elsaputri Silaen (Author)
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