Moderating Effects of Gender Among Collegiate Student-Athletes Receiving a Novel Peer Concussion Education Program

2020 ◽  
pp. 109019812097712
Author(s):  
Meredith Kneavel ◽  
William Ernst ◽  
Kevin McCarthy

Background More than 460,000 female and male student-athletes compete in college sports each year, with 5.5 concussions reported per 1,000 athlete exposures. The majority of these concussions occurred during competition and are somewhat more likely to be reported by female athletes. Aims To evaluate moderating effects of gender differences in response to a Peer Concussion Education Program (PCEP). Method A total of 1,100 male and 511 female student-athletes from 60 teams (30 experimental, 30 control) representing all National Collegiate Athletic Association divisions from high-concussive sports participated before, postintervention, and 1-month following the intervention. Participants completed assessments of symptom and return-to-play knowledge, reporting behavior, and reporting attitudes. Results The PCEP was more effective than control on all measures, females in the PCEP showed significantly greater changes than males in return to play knowledge, intention to report self and teammate, and indirect attitudes for self and teammate. PCEP females were more likely to discuss concussions with athletic trainers, peers, and teammates. In addition, females had a higher likelihood of reporting their own suspected concussion. Discussion Females had greater rates of change in understanding of some key components of the PCEP. Conclusion These findings suggest that females may learn differently in a peer environment and have different attitudes toward reporting and safety when consideration is given to the well-being of others.

2020 ◽  
Vol 55 (5) ◽  
pp. 456-468 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meredith E. Kneavel ◽  
William Ernst ◽  
Kevin S. McCarthy

Context The National Collegiate Athletic Association and US Department of Defense have called for educational programs to change the culture of concussion reporting, increase reporting behavior, and enhance the safety of players and service members. Objective To evaluate the effects of a novel peer concussion-education program (PCEP) in changing knowledge, attitudes, and norms about concussion reporting among collegiate student-athletes and assess program implementation. Design Randomized controlled trial and qualitative analysis of interviews. Setting National Collegiate Athletic Association athletic teams from randomly selected colleges or universities. Patients or Other Participants A total of 1614 male and female student-athletes from 60 teams at 10 colleges and universities and 8 athletic trainers. Intervention(s) The PCEP intervention trains 2 peer concussion educators to provide 2 education modules to their teammates. Knowledge, attitudes (oneself and teammates), and concussion occurrence or reporting were assessed at baseline, postintervention, and 1 month later. Eight athletic trainers were interviewed about program implementation. Results Compared with the control group, the intervention group showed greater increases occurred postintervention and at 1 month in concussion knowledge (F1,2648 = 51.3, P < .0001), intention to report (oneself, F2,2633 = 82.3, P < .0001; teammates, F2,2624 = 53.9, P < .0001), return-to-play protocol knowledge, (F2,2632 = 28.4, P < .0001), direct subjective norms (oneself, F2,2625 = 51.7, P < .0001; teammates, F2,2644 = 40.6, P < .0001), direct perceived behavioral control (oneself, F2,2628 = 53.7, P < .0001; teammates, F2,2615 = 68.2, P < .0001), and indirect attitudes (oneself, F2,2626 = 47.1, P < .001; teammates, F2,2623 = 40.9, P < .0001). Peer concussion-education program participants discussed concussion more often with a teammate (F1,1396 = 13.96, P < .0001) or athletic staff (F1,1396 = 6.62, P < .001). Qualitative program analysis revealed both positive aspects of the PCEP and areas for improvement. Conclusions The PCEP showed promise in increasing concussion knowledge, intention to report concussion, reporting a teammate's concussion, and facilitating attitudinal changes that support reporting among student-athletes.


Author(s):  
Carly Day ◽  
Sophie MacKenzie ◽  
Lailah Issac ◽  
Ashley Sanchez ◽  
Courtney Jones ◽  
...  

Abstract Context: Athletic trainers (ATs) are the most visible members of the sports medicine team and are responsible for the health and well-being of student-athletes (SAs). Objective: Quantifying the representation from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) ATs in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) member institutions has not been previously studied. Design: Retrospective study Setting: National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) Demographic Database Participants: NCAA teams' athletic personnel at NCAA member institutions. Main Measures: Chi-square tests were employed to assess differences in racial and ethnic frequencies across division, calendar year and gender. Linear regressions models were used to examine change in racial and ethnic distributions of head and assistant ATs over time. Results: The majority of NCAA athletic trainers were categorized as white (88%), which was reflected in both head (90.8%) and assistant (87.2%) AT positions. Black ATs made up the largest proportion of a specific racial/ethnicity group within BIPOC ATs (3.4% of head ATs, 4.6% of assistant ATs), with the next most prevalent being Hispanic (2.8% of head ATs, 3.9% of assistant ATs). Historically Black College and Universities (HBCUs) showed higher proportions of BIPOC ATs in both head and assistant categories compared to non-HBCU institutions. Division I schools had the greatest AT racial/ethnicity diversity in comparison to Division II and Division III (p<0.0001). In our linear regression models, we found statistically significant increases in many of the racial/ethnic categories for both head and assistant ATs. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates that BIPOC ATs represent a small proportion of the ATs currently working at NCAA member institutions. Although there has been an increase in BIPOC athletic trainers over the past ten years, a large racial and ethnic discordance gap still exists between student athletes and the ATs caring for them. Future studies may identify barriers encountered by BIPOC ATs and the effectiveness of current diversity initiatives.


2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (9) ◽  
pp. 2263-2269 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abigail C. Bretzin ◽  
Tracey Covassin ◽  
Meghan E. Fox ◽  
Kyle M. Petit ◽  
Jennifer L. Savage ◽  
...  

Background: Sports-related concussion (SRC) injury rates are well established in collegiate athletics through epidemiological studies using the National Collegiate Athletic Association Injury Surveillance System. However, few studies have examined sex differences, time loss, and missed school days in high school athletes, especially at the state level. Purpose: To identify sex differences in the clinical incidence of SRCs, missed school days, and time loss in high school student-athletes. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiological study. Methods: A total of 193,757 (116,434 male and 77,323 female) student-athletes (10th grade ± 1.1) participating in Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA)–sponsored athletic activities were recorded in the Head Injury Reporting System. Certified athletic trainers, school athletic administrators, and coaches from MHSAA high schools reported SRC data and overall participation for the 2015-2016 academic year. Total concussive injuries, as well as missed school days and time loss for each concussive injury, were reported. The clinical incidence was calculated by dividing the number of SRCs in a particular category by the number of participants in that category and presented with 95% CIs. Relative risk ratios (RRs) were determined for sex-comparable sports. Results: The overall clinical incidence for all sports was 1.7 per 100 player-seasons (95% CI, 1.6-1.8) and 1.9 (95% CI, 1.8-2.0) for male sports and 1.5 (95% CI, 1.4-1.6) for female sports. Female athletes were at a 1.9 (95% CI, 1.8-2.2) times greater risk for enduring SRCs than male athletes in sex-comparable sports, with a greater risk in baseball/softball (RR, 2.7 [95% CI, 1.9-3.8]), basketball (RR, 2.5 [95% CI, 2.1-2.9]), and soccer (RR, 1.6 [95% CI, 1.4-1.9]). Female student-athletes had significantly longer time loss than male student-athletes ( P < .001). The mean number of missed school days did not differ between sexes ( P = .70). Conclusion: High school female student-athletes have a higher risk for an SRC in all sex-comparable sports except lacrosse. This may be because of biomechanical differences of the head-neck segment, hormonal differences, and the fact that female athletes are more likely to report symptoms after a suspected SRC. Clinical Relevance: Despite sex differences in the clinical incidence of SRCs and time loss from participation in high school sports, the numbers of missed school days are relatively similar between sexes.


Neurology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 93 (14 Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. S27.1-S27
Author(s):  
Meredith Kneavel ◽  
William Ernst ◽  
Kevin McCarthy

ObjectiveTo evaluate the effectiveness of a novel peer concussion education program designed to increase knowledge of concussions, reporting of concussive events, and attitudes for both teammates and individuals in high concussive sports.BackgroundOver 460,000 student-athletes compete in 24 NCAA sports every year. Concussions are estimated to occur between 0.43—0.57 per 1000 athletic events for student-athletes (Covassin, et al., 2016; Daneshvar et al., 2011) but these rates rely in part on self-report, which is likely affected by factors including the culture surrounding athletics (IOM, 2013). The Institute of Medicine, NCAA, Department of Defense, and the CDC have all called for educational interventions to change the culture of competitive athletics pertaining to concussion so that reporting of concussion becomes the norm.Design/MethodsA multi-site randomized controlled trial was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. Measures of concussion knowledge, knowledge of the return to play protocol, intention to report concussions, direct subjective norms, direct perceived behavioral control, and indirect perceived behavioral control were assessed at baseline, post-intervention, and at a one-month follow-up with the last four measuring perspectives for both self and teammate.Results1614 male and female student-athletes from 60 teams (30 experimental, 30 control) belonging to 10 colleges/universities across all 3 NCAA Divisions completed the study. Results indicated that student-athletes who participated in the program demonstrated greater increases in concussion knowledge, intention to report concussion, understanding of the return to play protocol, direct subjective norms, direct perceived behavioral control, and indirect perceived behavioral control for both self and teammate compared to controls post-intervention and at the one-month follow-up.ConclusionsThe novel peer-mediated approach to concussion education shows promise in increasing concussion knowledge, intention to report concussion, and for facilitating attitudinal changes that support reporting among student-athletes and in changing the norms of concussion reporting on a team.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 232596712110152
Author(s):  
Rafael Sanchez ◽  
Blake H. Hodgens ◽  
Joseph S. Geller ◽  
Samuel Huntley ◽  
Jonathan Kaplan ◽  
...  

Background: Achilles tendon (AT) ruptures are devastating injuries that are highly prevalent among athletes. Despite our understanding of the effect of AT rupture and in particular its relationship to basketball, no study has examined the effects of AT rupture and repair on performance metrics in collegiate basketball players. Purpose: To evaluate the effect of AT rupture and subsequent surgical repair on performance metrics in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I basketball players who return to play after injury. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiology study. Methods: NCAA Division I basketball players who sustained an AT rupture and underwent subsequent surgical repair between 2000 and 2019 were identified by systematically evaluating individual injury reports from databases comprising NCAA career statistics and individual school statistics; 65 male and 41 female players were identified. Athletes were included if they participated in at least one-half of the games of 1 collegiate season before tearing the AT and at least 1 season after operative repair. A total of 50 male and 30 female athletes were included. Each injured athlete was matched to a healthy control by conference, position, starter status at time of injury, class year, and number of games played. Matched controls were healthy players and experienced no significant injuries during their NCAA careers. Results: After AT repair, male athletes had significantly more minutes per game, points per game, and compared with before injury. Total blocks significantly decreased after injury. Female athletes scored significantly more points per game but demonstrated a significantly lower 3-point shooting percentage after return to play. Despite undergoing AT rupture and repair, 14% of male players played in the National Basketball Association, and 20% of injured female athletes played in the Women’s National Basketball Association. Conclusion: After returning to play, men demonstrated a significant drop-off in performance only in regard to total blocks. Female athletes after AT repair demonstrated a significant improvement in points per game but had a significant drop-off in 3-point shooting percentage.


2020 ◽  
Vol 55 (5) ◽  
pp. 448-455 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Ernst ◽  
Meredith E. Kneavel

Context A novel peer concussion-education program (PCEP) was developed to enhance concussion knowledge and reporting among collegiate student-athletes. Objective To describe the PCEP and its development and implementation. Design Program development consisting of a literature review, focus group, and pilot implementation. Setting Athletics department at a college participating at the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II-sanctioned competition level. Patients or Other Participants Fifteen student-athletes from the women's soccer and men's lacrosse teams participated in the focus group. Four peer concussion educators (PCEs) were debriefed after the pilot implementation of the PCEP with the women's soccer and men's lacrosse teams. Data Collection and Analysis Focus-group data were analyzed qualitatively. The PCEs were debriefed, and responses were organized into recommendation types. Results The literature review contributed information that supported the development of the PCEP's conceptual model. Focus-group results provided information used to train the PCEs and refine the PCEP's education modules. The pilot implementation and PCE debriefing supplied information used to further revise the education modules, PCE training, and PCEP implementation procedure. Conclusions The PCEP was developed based on the Theory of Reasoned Action and Planned Behavior and uses a peer-mediated, cognitive-behavioral, and interdisciplinary model to enhance concussion knowledge of and reporting by collegiate student-athletes. After a focus-group discussion and pilot implementation, we revised the PCEP and its education modules and developed an online manual to facilitate broad dissemination.


2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 378-390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Minjung Kim ◽  
Brent D. Oja ◽  
Han Soo Kim ◽  
Ji-Hyoung Chin

The quality of a student-athlete’s experience can be a product of the services provided by their sponsoring sport organization. In an attempt to improve the student-athlete experience, this study was positioned to examine how collegiate sport services could use academic psychological capital (PsyCap) and student-athlete engagement to promote school satisfaction and psychological well-being. A total of 248 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I student-athletes participated in this study. Results indicated that academic classification moderated academic PsyCap’s influence on engagement. In addition, the academic PsyCap of the student-athletes positively influenced school satisfaction and psychological well-being, but student-athlete engagement fully mediated the relationship between academic PsyCap and psychological well-being. This empirical evidence provides new knowledge on the relationships among student-athletes’ motivational cognitive constructs, educational engagement, school satisfaction, and psychological well-being in the context of highly competitive collegiate sports. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed, including incorporating the results with services provided to student-athletes.


2011 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristine A. Ensign ◽  
Athena Yiamouyiannis ◽  
Kristi M. White ◽  
B. David Ridpath

Abstract Context: Researchers have investigated heterosexuals' attitudes toward homosexuals, focusing on factors such as sex, race, religion, education, and contact experiences. However, in the context of sport, this research is deficient. We found no published literature investigating athletic trainers (ATs') attitudes toward lesbian, gay, and bisexual student-athletes (LGB). Objective: To determine heterosexual ATs' attitudes toward LGB student-athletes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Design: Cross-sectional study Setting: E-mailed survey. Patients or Other Participants: A total of 964 ATs employed at member institutions. Main Outcome Measure(s): We measured attitudes using the Attitudes Toward Lesbian, Gay Men, and Bisexuals (ATLGB) Scale. To determine the extent to which sex, religion, and whether having an LGB friend or family member had an effect on ATs' attitudes, we performed analysis of variance. To establish the effect of age on ATs' attitudes, we calculated a Pearson correlation. We used an independent t test to identify differences between ATs who reported working with LGB student-athletes and ATs who did not. Results: With ATLGB score as the dependent factor, a main effect was noted for sex, religion, and having an LGB friend or family member (P &lt; .01 for all comparisons). Age and total score were related (P &lt; .01). A difference was seen in the ATLGB scores between ATs who were aware of LGB student-athletes on their teams and ATs who were not (P &lt; .001). Conclusions: Many ATs hold positive attitudes toward LGB student-athletes, especially females, those who have an LGB friend or family member, and those who are aware of LGB student-athletes. Still, it is important to provide an open environment in the athletic training room for all student-athletes.


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