Effectiveness of Educational Comics in Improving High School Students' Knowledge of First Aid for Minor Burns: A One-Group Pretest–Posttest Study

Abstract

Background: Minor burns are among the most common injuries encountered in daily life, particularly among adolescents who actively participate in school, laboratory, and extracurricular activities. Inadequate first-aid knowledge often leads to inappropriate practices, such as applying toothpaste, butter, or cooking oil to burn wounds, which may worsen tissue damage and delay proper treatment. Educational interventions using visually engaging media, such as comics, have emerged as promising strategies to improve health knowledge among adolescents.
Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of educational comic media in improving knowledge regarding first aid for minor burns among high school students.
Methods: A quantitative pre-experimental study with a one-group pretest–posttest design was conducted among 40 tenth-grade students at SMA Negeri 14 Ambon. Participants were selected using quota sampling. Students completed a structured knowledge questionnaire before the intervention. Educational comics containing evidence-based information on first aid for minor burns were subsequently provided, followed by guided reading and interactive discussion. Knowledge was reassessed immediately after the intervention using the same questionnaire. Differences between pretest and posttest scores were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test.
Results: Before the intervention, most participants demonstrated poor knowledge (70.0%), while only 2.5% had good knowledge. Following comic-based education, the proportion of students with good knowledge increased to 42.5%, whereas poor knowledge decreased to 2.5%. Statistical analysis revealed a significant improvement in knowledge after the intervention (Wilcoxon test, p < 0.001).
Conclusion: Educational comics were effective in improving students' knowledge regarding first aid for minor burns. Comic-based health education represents an attractive and effective learning strategy for adolescents and has the potential to strengthen school-based health promotion programs.