First-aid education and motivation for ongoing training among equestrian coaches and instructors in the Czech Republic: A cross-sectional study informed by the theory of planned behavior

Abstract

Problem Statement. Equestrian sport is associated with a risk of injury, and coaches or instructors supervising riding lessons are often the first responders at the scene of a fall. In the Czech Republic, first aid training is provided only once as part of the initial qualification course, typically in a five- to six-hour block. No periodic retraining is required thereafter. Evidence indicates that first aid knowledge and skills begin to deteriorate within six to twelve months after training. Consequently, participation in continuing first aid education depends entirely on individual motivation. However, the extent of this motivation and coaches’ ability to accurately assess their own training needs have not previously been investigated. Methods. The study was guided by the Theory of Planned Behaviour, extended by the intention-behaviour gap framework. Attitudes towards the adequacy of the current curriculum and perceived normative support for mandatory retraining served as indicators of intention. Reported participation in refresher training represented behaviour, while self-assessed first aid knowledge served as an indicator of perceived behavioural control and validated against an objective knowledge test. Purpose. The study aimed to describe first aid education and refresher-training practices among Czech equestrian coaches and instructors, to determine whether limited participation in continuing education is primarily driven by motivational or structural barriers, and to assess whether self-perceived competence can serve as a proxy for objectively measured competence. Results. A self-administered online questionnaire was completed by 104 Czech equestrian coaches and instructors. Most respondents (71.2%) had completed a first aid course outside their qualification programme, and 64.4% reported receiving mandatory first aid instruction during qualification training. Despite this, 41.3% had never attended refresher training, while only 15.4% participated annually. More than half of the respondents (51.0%) considered the current first aid curriculum insufficient, and 84.6% supported mandatory periodic retraining. The mean score on the objective knowledge test was 88.06%. Participants who rated their knowledge as good or sufficient significantly overestimated their performance by 18.75 and 31.15 percentage points, respectively (both p < .001). In contrast, respondents who rated their knowledge as excellent underestimated their performance by 8.0 percentage points (p = .037). Conclusions. Positive attitudes towards additional training and strong normative support for mandatory retraining coexist with low participation in refresher education, suggesting that the primary barrier lies in actual rather than perceived behavioural control. Self-assessment cannot be considered a reliable proxy for first aid competence. Embedding mandatory refresher training within the licence renewal process, rather than relying solely on awareness-raising initiatives, appears to be the most appropriate response.