Concussion Knowledge and Reporting Behavior Differences Between High School Athletes at Urban and Suburban High Schools

2017 ◽  
Vol 87 (9) ◽  
pp. 665-674 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Wallace ◽  
Tracey Covassin ◽  
Sally Nogle ◽  
Daniel Gould ◽  
Jeffrey Kovan
Author(s):  
Glen L. Bergeron

ABSTRACT:Background and Objectives: Federal and provincial governments in Canada are promoting provincial legislation to prevent and manage sport-related concussions (SRCs). The objective of this research was to determine the incidence of concussions in high school sport, the knowledge of the signs, symptoms, and consequences of SRC, and how likely student athletes are to report a concussion. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of athletes (N = 225) from multiple sports in five high schools in one Manitoba school division was conducted. Results: Participants in this study were well aware of the signs, symptoms, and consequences of SRC. Cognitive and emotional symptoms were the least recognized consequences. SRC is prevalent in high schools in both males and females across all sports. Of the 225 respondents, 35.3% reported having sustained an SRC. Less than half (45.5%) reported their concussion. Athletes purposely chose not to report a concussion in games (38.4%) and practices (33.8%). Two major barriers to reporting were feeling embarrassed (3.4/7) and finding it difficult (3.5/7) to report. There was, however, strong agreement (Mean 5.91/7, SD 0.09) when asked if they intend to report a concussion should they experience one in the future. Conclusions: The results suggest that high school athletes would benefit from more SRC education. Coaches and team medical staff must be trained to be vigilant for the mechanism, signs, and symptoms of injury in both game and practice situations. This study will also inform the implementation of pending legislation in Manitoba and perhaps other provinces in Canada.


2014 ◽  
Vol 77 ◽  
pp. S12-S17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brad Kurowski ◽  
Wendy J. Pomerantz ◽  
Courtney Schaiper ◽  
Michael A. Gittelman

2018 ◽  
Vol 53 (4) ◽  
pp. 404-409 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher P. Tomczyk ◽  
Megan Mormile ◽  
Megan S. Wittenberg; ◽  
Jody L. Langdon ◽  
Tamerah N. Hunt

Context:  An estimated 15.3 million adolescent students are enrolled in US high schools, with approximately 7.8 million participating in athletics. Researchers have examined various demographics in high school athletes; however, athletic participation may play a larger role in test performance than previously thought. Currently, investigations of concussion assessment may rely on uninjured athletes as controls. However, due to the intense nature of athletics, this may not be an appropriate practice. Objective:  To examine differences between athletes and nonathletes using a common computerized neuropsychological test. Design:  Retrospective cross-sectional study. Setting:  High schools from a school district in Columbus, Ohio. Patients or Other Participants:  A total of 662 adolescent high school students (athletes: n = 383, female n = 18; nonathletes: n = 279, female n = 193). Main Outcome Measure(s):  Participants were administered a computerized neuropsychological test battery (Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Test [ImPACT]) during baseline concussion assessment. Differences between groups were established for output composite scores. Results:  Differences were found between athletes and nonathletes in composite reaction time (F1,522 = 14.855, P < .001) and total symptom score (F1,427 = 33.770, P < .001). Nonathletes reported more symptoms, whereas athletes had faster reaction times. No differences were present in composite verbal memory, composite visual memory, composite visual motor speed, or composite impulse control (P > .05). Conclusions:  Symptom reporting and reaction time differed between high school athletes and nonathletes. Participation in extracurricular activities may lead to cognitive differences in adolescents that can influence performance on the Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Test battery. Researchers should account for these differences in baseline performance when making concussion diagnostic and management decisions.


2008 ◽  
Vol 43 (6) ◽  
pp. 624-630 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth A. Huffman ◽  
Ellen E. Yard ◽  
Sarah K. Fields ◽  
Christy L. Collins ◽  
R. Dawn Comstock

Abstract Context: Although more than 7 million athletes participate in high school sports in the United States, to date no nationally representative studies of rare injuries and conditions (RICs) exist. Rare injuries and conditions include eye injuries, dental injuries, neck and cervical injuries, and dehydration and heat illnesses. Objective: To describe the epidemiology of RICs sustained by high school athletes during the 2005–2006 and 2006–2007 school years. Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: A nationally representative sample of 100 US high schools using an injury surveillance system, High School Reporting Information Online. Patients or Other Participants: Athletes participating in football, boys' soccer, girls' soccer, volleyball, boys' basketball, girls' basketball, wrestling, baseball, or softball at one of the 100 participating high schools. Main Outcome Measure(s): We reviewed all RICs to calculate injury rates and to identify potential risk factors and preventive measures. Results: A total of 321 RICs were sustained during 3 550 141 athlete-exposures (AEs), for an injury rate of 9.04 RICs per 100 000 AEs. This represents an estimated 84 223 RICs sustained nationally. The RICs accounted for 3.5% of all high school athletes' injuries. The most common diagnoses were neck and cervical injuries (62.0%, n  =  199) and dehydration and heat illnesses (18.7%, n  =  60). Football had the highest RIC rate per 100 000 AEs (21.2), followed by wrestling (15.2) and baseball (7.60). The RICs occurred at a higher rate in boys (12.4) than in girls (2.51) (rate ratio  =  4.93; 95% confidence interval  =  3.39, 7.18). The majority of RICs (67.3%, n  =  216) permitted athletes to return to play within 1 week of diagnosis. Conclusions: The RIC injury rates varied by sport and sex and represented almost 100 000 potentially preventable injuries to high school athletes. Because of the potentially serious consequences, future researchers must develop and implement more effective preventive measures to aid certified athletic trainers in decreasing the RIC incidence among high school athletes.


2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 232596711775138 ◽  
Author(s):  
David R. Bell ◽  
Eric G. Post ◽  
Stephanie M. Trigsted ◽  
Daniel A. Schaefer ◽  
Timothy A. McGuine ◽  
...  

Background: Sport specialization has been associated with overuse injuries and is more common in larger high schools, which are often located in more urban/suburban settings. However, sport participation characteristics have not been compared between suburban and rural high schools. Purpose/Hypothesis: The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in sport participation characteristics between athletes at suburban and rural high schools. It was hypothesized that suburban high school students would be more likely to be highly specialized, participate in more athletic competitions per year, and play in a league outside of school. We also hypothesized that suburban high school students would start playing their primary sport at a younger age, would have participated in their primary sport for longer, and would play more months per year and hours per week. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: High school athletes from 4 high schools (2 suburban and 2 rural) participated in this study (N = 354 [222 females]; mean age, 15.7 ± 1.2 years). Athletes were on a school-sponsored athletic team in 1 of 4 sports (volleyball, tennis, basketball, soccer). The suburban schools (study enrollment, n = 226) had total school enrollments of 2271 and 622 students, while the rural schools (study enrollment, n = 128) had total school enrollments of 443 and 297. Participants completed a questionnaire prior to the start of their high school sport season. The questionnaire consisted of demographic information, a sport specialization scale, and sport participation information. Primary sport competition volume in the previous 12 months was classified as high (>60 primary sport competitions), moderate (30-60), or low (<30). Sport specialization status was classified via a 3-point scale as low, moderate, or high. Results: As compared with athletes at rural schools, athletes at suburban schools started playing their primary sport at a younger age (suburban, 7.8 ± 2.9 years; rural, 9.7 ± 3.2 years; P < .001) and participated for more years (suburban, 7.9 ± 3.1 years; rural, 6.1 ± 3.3 years; P < .001), more months per year (suburban, 7.6 ± 3.6 months; rural, 5.6 ± 2.8 months; P < .001), and more hours per week (suburban, 15.2 ± 5.1 hours; rural, 12.9 ± 3.3 hours; P < .001). Athletes at suburban schools were more likely than rural athletes to be classified as highly specialized (χ2 = 52.5, P < .001), participate in more competitions (χ2 = 16.5, P < .001), play in a league outside of school (χ2 = 18.4, P < .001), and train in their primary sport for >8 months per year (χ2 = 27.8, P < .001) and >16 hours per week (χ2 = 15.0, P < .001). Conclusion: High school athletes at suburban schools are more likely to exhibit sport participation patterns that are associated with increased risk of overuse injury. These include being classified as highly specialized, playing their primary sport >8 months per year and >16 hours per week, engaging in a high competition volume, and participating in a sport league (eg, club) outside of school. Efforts aimed at safe sport participation should target these groups, as they seem more likely to violate safe sport recommendations.


2017 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
pp. 228-235 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Wallace ◽  
Tracey Covassin ◽  
Sally Nogle ◽  
Daniel Gould ◽  
Jeffrey Kovan

Context: Increased sport participation and sport-related concussion incidence has led to an emphasis on having an appropriate medical professional available to high school athletes. The medical professional best suited to provide medical care to high school athletes is a certified athletic trainer (AT). Access to an AT may influence the reporting of sport-related concussion in the high school athletic population; however, little is known about how the presence of an AT affects concussion knowledge, prevention, and recognition. Objective: To evaluate knowledge of concussion and reporting behaviors in high school athletes who did or did not have access to an AT. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Survey. Patients or Other Participants: A total of 438 athletes with access to an AT and 277 without access to an AT. Intervention(s): A validated knowledge-of-concussion survey consisting of 83 items addressing concussion history, concussion knowledge, scenario questions, signs and symptoms of a concussion, and reasons why an athlete would not report a concussion. The independent variable was access to an AT. Main Outcome Measure(s): We examined the proportion of athletes who correctly identified knowledge of concussion, signs and symptoms of concussion, and reasons why high school student-athletes would not disclose a potential concussive injury by access to an AT. Frequency statistics, χ2 tests, independent t tests, and linear regression were conducted to analyze the data. Results: The underreporting of concussion among high school athletes was 55%. Athletes with access to an AT had more knowledge of concussion than did athletes without such access (P ≤ .001). Chi-square tests did not demonstrate a significant relationship between AT access and a higher percentage reporting concussions. Conclusions: High school athletes with access to an AT had more concussion knowledge, but they did not report suspected concussions to an authority figure more frequently than athletes without access to an AT.


2021 ◽  
pp. 003335492098861
Author(s):  
Jingzhen Yang ◽  
Hosea H. Harvey ◽  
Lindsay Sullivan ◽  
Lihong Huang ◽  
R. Dawn Comstock

Objectives Studies that evaluate the effectiveness of concussion laws often use only a single variable (ie, presence of the law), failing to account for law complexity. We examined the association between multiple design elements of state concussion laws and rates of sports-related concussion reporting among US high school athletes. Methods We derived 3 design elements of concussion laws from the 2009-2017 LawAtlas database: (1) strength of law, (2) number of law revisions, and (3) speed of law adoption. We examined the association between these design elements and rates of new and recurrent sports-related concussion reporting from the 2009-2010 through 2016-2017 academic years in a nationally representative sample of high school athletes participating in High School Report Information Online, an online data collection tool. Results A total of 7064 sports-related concussions (6332 [89.6%] new and 732 [10.4%] recurrent concussions) were reported during the study period, with an overall rate of 39.7 sports-related concussions per 100 000 athletic exposures (eg, game or practice). Rates of new concussion reporting were higher among high schools in states with medium- or high-strength concussion laws than in states with low-strength concussion laws and in states with at least 1 concussion law revision than in states with no concussion law revisions. Rates of recurrent concussion reporting were lower among high schools in states with ≥2 concussion law revisions than in states with <2 concussion law revisions. Early law adoption was associated with higher rates of new and recurrent concussion reporting, and late law adoption was associated with lower rates of new and recurrent concussion reporting. Conclusion Our findings may help inform legislators of the public health effect of concussion laws.


2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Ellen Taylor ◽  
Jennifer E. Sanner

Sports-related concussion or traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a frequent occurrence among high school athletes. Long-term and short-term effects of TBI on the athlete’s developing brain can be minimized if the athlete reports and is effectively treated for TBI symptoms. Knowledge of concussion symptoms and a school culture of support are critical in order to promote the student’s intention to report TBI symptoms. The purpose of this systematic review is to examine the relationship between the high school athlete’s concussion knowledge and an intention to report TBI symptoms. One hundred eleven articles were retrieved and four articles met established criteria and were included in this systematic review. A link appears to exist between high school athlete concussion knowledge and an intention to report TBI symptoms. School nurses can provide a supportive environment and concussion knowledge to the high school athlete in order to ultimately facilitate TBI symptom reporting.


2009 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 76-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
John E. Bonza ◽  
Sarah K. Fields ◽  
Ellen E. Yard ◽  
R. Dawn Comstock

Abstract Context: The shoulder is one of the most commonly injured body sites among athletes. Little previous research describes shoulder injury patterns in high school athletes. Objective: To describe and compare shoulder injury rates and patterns among high school athletes in 9 sports (football, soccer, basketball, baseball, and wrestling for boys and soccer, volleyball, basketball, and softball for girls). Design: Prospective injury surveillance study. Setting: Injury data were collected from 100 nationally representative US high schools via High School Reporting Information Online. Patients or Other Participants: Athletes from participating high schools injured while involved in a school-sanctioned practice or competition in 1 of the above sports during the 2005–2006 and 2006–2007 school years. Main Outcome Measure(s): Shoulder injury rates, diagnoses, severity, and mechanisms. Results: During the 2005–2006 and 2006–2007 school years, athletes in this study sustained 805 shoulder injuries during 3 550 141 athlete-exposures (AEs), for an injury rate of 2.27 shoulder injuries per 10 000 AEs. This corresponds to an estimated 232 258 shoulder injuries occurring nationwide during this time. Shoulder injuries were more likely to occur during competition than practice (rate ratio  =  3.01, 95% confidence interval  =  2.62, 3.46). Shoulder injury rates per 10 000 AEs were highest in football (5.09), wrestling (4.34), and baseball (1.90). Common shoulder injury diagnoses included sprains/strains (39.6%), dislocations/separations (23.7%), contusions (11.5%), and fractures (6.6%). Although 44.8% of athletes sustaining a shoulder injury returned to play in less than 1 week, 22.9% were out of play for more than 3 weeks, and 6.2% of shoulder injuries required surgery. Common mechanisms of shoulder injury included player-to-player contact (57.6%) and contact with the playing surface (22.8%). Conclusions: High school shoulder injury rates and patterns varied by sport. Continued surveillance is warranted to understand trends and patterns over time and to develop and evaluate evidence-based preventive interventions.


2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 321-324 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johna K. Register-Mihalik ◽  
Tamara C. Valovich McLeod ◽  
Laura A. Linnan ◽  
Kevin M. Guskiewicz ◽  
Stephen W. Marshall

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