Development, implementation and assessment of a concussion education programme for high school student-athletes

Abstract

Although experts have noted that adolescent athletes should be educated about concussions to improve their safety, there is no agreement on the most effective strategy to disseminate concussion education. The purpose of this study was to develop, implement and assess a concussion education programme. More precisely, four interactive oral presentations were delivered to high school student-athletes (N = 35, M = 15.94, SD = 0.34) in a large urban centre. Participants completed a questionnaire at three time-points during the season to measure changes in their knowledge (CK) and attitudes (CA) of concussions, and focus group interviews were conducted following the concussion education programme. Questionnaire data revealed participants' post-intervention CK scores were higher than their pre-intervention scores. During the focus groups, the student-athletes said they acquired CK about the role of protective equipment and symptom variability, and in terms of CA, they intended to avoid dangerous in-game collisions in the future. Our study was the first to create and deliver a concussion education intervention across multiple time-points, and to use mixed-methods in its assessment. These findings may be of interest to researchers, practitioners and stakeholders in sport who are invested in making the sport environment safer through concussion education and awareness.

Making Headway for Discussions About Concussions: Experiences of Former High School and Collegiate Student-Athletes

“…Overall, there still remains a clear barrier in that many athletes are simply not motivated to report symptoms of concussion. When educational efforts about concussion safety are directed at the athletes themselves, one study reported an increased desire to avoid collisions, but behaviors for reporting concussions that occur may still be unchanged (21). Indeed, many athletes want to play despite any potential cost to their own health, an attitude which creates ethical conflicts between the needs of the player, the needs of the team, and the goals of the medical community (22).…”

A Concussion Education Programme for Motorsport Drivers: A Field-Based Exploratory Pilot Study

“…The CKI-subscale in this study showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = .82) and the CAI-subscale showed acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach's α = .71). The RoCKAS-ST has been described extensively in the literature, and further details on the measure can be found in Caron et al (8).…”

“…Motorsport-specific contextualization, examples, and case studies were created through discussions with expert stakeholders. While being tailored to motorsport, the fundamental concepts within the area of concussion were covered (1,8). Workshop 1 covered: the definition of concussion; mechanisms of injury; signs and symptoms of concussion; basic pathophysiology; the physical, psychological and emotional impact of concussions and the potential short-and long-term effects on health and wellbeing as well as sport performance.…”

“…Workshop 2 covered: a review of workshop 1 and further discussion of the potential effects of concussion on performance and daily living; return to normal/learn and return to sport processes and protocols; consideration of safe sporting environments and looking out for others. All evidence taught in the program was based on the latest peer-reviewed literature (e.g., 1,6,8,36).…”

“…Compared to massed approaches to learning, the evidence shows that spaced, and repeated, learning sessions are significantly better for retention and comprehension (9,10). While Caron et al (8) found knowledge improved following their program, no significant improvement in attitude was identified. This must be addressed further, and a science-based approach to learning should provide the evidence for this investigation, including drawing from the evidence on individual differences in cognition.…”