scholarly journals Concussion knowledge and attitudes among amateur South African rugby players

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
C Viljoen ◽  
M Schoeman ◽  
C Brandt ◽  
J Patricios ◽  
C Van Rooyen

Background: The South African Rugby Union’s BokSmart programme currently educates coaches and referees on concussion. Rugby players are often more familiar with their teammates than the coach or referee. Therefore they are well-positioned to play a pivotal role in rugby safety if they have adequate knowledge to identify subtle signs and abnormal behaviour displayed by a concussed teammate. However, no programme focuses on concussion education among South African rugby players and there is a dearth of literature on concussion education programmes among rugby players which could lead to safer return to play (RTP) habits.Objectives: To evaluate South African rugby players’ concussion knowledge and attitudes/behaviours regarding RTP following a concussion.Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was used. Participants (n=294) were divided into junior amateur high school (JAHS) (n=216) and senior amateur club (SAC) (n=78) players. The modified RoCKAS-ST questionnaire was used to evaluate their concussion knowledge index (CKI) and concussion attitudes/behaviours index (CAI) regarding RTP.Results: On average, 62% (JAHS) and 60% (SAC) of the CKI questions were answered correctly. JAHS participants correctly identified 66% of concussion symptoms, similarly to the SAC participants (63%), rendering similar (p=0.37) overall CKI scores when comparing the two groups. The CAI questions yielded similar (p=0.98) results between the groups, reporting safe responses in 66% (JAHS) and 67% (SAC) of the items.Discussion and conclusion: Junior and senior South African amateur rugby players lacked approximately one-third of essential concussion knowledge, which may lead to a display of unsafe attitudes/behaviours to concussion and RTP. Further research is warranted to inform educational programmes on concussion among rugby players.

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Viljoen ◽  
M Schoeman ◽  
C Brandt ◽  
J Patricios ◽  
C Van Rooyen

Background: The South African Rugby Union’s BokSmart programme currently educates coaches and referees on concussion. Rugby players are often more familiar with their teammates than the coach or referee. Therefore they are well-positioned to play a pivotal role in rugby safety if they have adequate knowledge to identify subtle signs and abnormal behaviour displayed by a concussed teammate. However, no programme focuses on concussion education among South African rugby players and there is a dearth of literature on concussion education programmes among rugby players which could lead to safer return to play (RTP) habits.Objectives: To evaluate South African rugby players’ concussion knowledge and attitudes/behaviours regarding RTP following a concussion.Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was used. Participants (n=294) were divided into junior amateur high school (JAHS) (n=216) and senior amateur club (SAC) (n=78) players. The modified RoCKAS-ST questionnaire was used to evaluate their concussion knowledge index (CKI) and concussion attitudes/behaviours index (CAI) regarding RTP.Results: On average, 62% (JAHS) and 60% (SAC) of the CKI questions were answered correctly. JAHS participants correctly identified 66% of concussion symptoms, similarly to the SAC participants (63%), rendering similar (p=0.37) overall CKI scores when comparing the two groups. The CAI questions yielded similar (p=0.98) results between the groups, reporting safe responses in 66% (JAHS) and 67% (SAC) of the items.Discussion and conclusion: Junior and senior South African amateur rugby players lacked approximately one-third of essential concussion knowledge, which may lead to a display of unsafe attitudes/behaviours to concussion and RTP. Further research is warranted to inform educational programmes on concussion among rugby players.


2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
W Kraak ◽  
B Bernardo ◽  
H Gouws ◽  
A Loubser ◽  
J Vuuren ◽  
...  

   Background: Concussion occurs more frequently in contact sports, such as rugby, and is furthermore not fully recognised during play. It is also underreported in the literature, to medical personnel, or to coaches.  Objectives: The objective of this study was to describe the knowledge about and attitudes towards concussion by Stellenbosch University hostel rugby players.  Methods: The study focussed on gathering quantitative information through implementing a cross-sectional study design. One hundred and eighty Stellenbosch University hostel rugby players completed the modified Rosenbaum Concussion Knowledge and Attitudes Survey - Student Version (RoCKAS-ST). The RoCKAS-ST questionnaire is divided into three parts, namely, the evaluation of the Concussion Knowledge Index (CKI) and Concussion Attitudes Index (CAI), and a 16-symptom checklist.  Results: The participants scored on average 75% in the CKI and 81% in the CAI. The correlation between CKI and CAI was r=0.14 which is considered a weak positive correlation.  Discussion: The participants demonstrated sufficient knowledge of concussion and thus a safer attitude towards concussion. There were some concerning factors from the knowledge of the concussion questions and the symptoms that may have an effect on attitudes towards concussion.  Conclusion: The study revealed that Stellenbosch University hostel rugby players have sufficient knowledge of what constitutes concussion, as well as the necessity of having safe attitude towards it. However, a small number of participants showed that they still may lack knowledge in certain areas concerning concussion. 


2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (38) ◽  
pp. 62-84
Author(s):  
Taufik SURYADI ◽  
Hijra Novia SUARDI ◽  
Hanifah ZAIN ◽  
Zinatul HAYATI ◽  
Budi YANTI

Background: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread throughout the world to become a pandemic, making the entire health sector overwhelmed. Hospitals as health service facilities continuously strive to provide optimal service to patients with the confirmed COVID-19 infection. Resident doctors usually handle COVID-19 patients at the Zainoel Abidin Hospital (ZAH). As the front liner in handling the COVID-19 pandemic, these resident doctors must have adequate knowledge and good attitudes in dealing with COVID-19 patients, especially regarding ethical and medicolegal. Aim: This study aims at finding out the level of knowledge and attitudes of resident doctors in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic at the ZAH, Aceh. Methods: This was a cross sectional study conducted among resident doctors (n=80) in the ZAH during November-December 2020 with a self-administered online questionnaire. It had been tested for validity by experts with a Content Validity Ratio / CVR of 0.738 and reliability of 0.732. The data were analyzed using the frequency distribution test (univariate) and the Chi square correlation test (bivariate). Results and Discussion: The results show that the majority of respondents had inadequate knowledge of ethical and medicolegal issues in handling the COVID-19 pandemic (70.0%); however, they had a positive attitude in overcoming ethical and medicolegal issues, i.e.77.5%. The chi square statistical test result shows no correlation between knowledge and attitude with a p-value of 0.077 (p-value >0.05). Conclusions: Therefore, it can be concluded that the theoretical knowledge of doctors was not sufficient to identify ethical and medicolegal issues, but the attitude in dealing with ethical and medicolegal issues was satisfactory. This result offers a new opportunity and challenge to increase the awareness of doctors in applying their knowledge and attitudes towards handling the COVID-19 pandemic.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-17
Author(s):  
Howard Thomas Hurst ◽  
Andrew R Novak ◽  
Stephen S Cheung ◽  
Stephen Atkins

The aim of this study wasto investigate the knowledge of and attitudes towards concussion in cycling. An abbreviated Rosenbaum Concussion Knowledge and attitudes Survey (RoCKAS) was distributed online via social media and completed by 1990 respondents involved in cycling. The RoCKAS comprised separate sections to determine a concussion knowledge index (CKI) providing a score between 0-33, and a concussion attitudes index (CAI) with possible scores between 7-20. Mean scores were 25.9 ± 11.0 and 17.7 ± 3.0 for CKI and CAI, respectively. However, there remained several concussion knowledge misconceptions and disparity between reported knowledge and attitudes and actions, with 16% of respondents admitting to riding despite having concussive symptoms and 18.7% stating they would hide a concussion to stay in an event. The results of this survey indicate those involved with cycling reported reasonable knowledge of concussion symptoms and safe/desirable attitudes towards concussion education. However, despite reporting safe attitudes, the actions of those involved in cycling may be of greater concern, as a considerable number of respondents were still willing to take risks by continuing to cycle knowing they had concussive symptoms.


Author(s):  
Hira Abbasi ◽  
Fareena Khalil Ahmed ◽  
Muhammad Muzamil ◽  
Zaheer Hussain ◽  
Abhishek Lal

Aims: This study aims to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practices of the general population towards coronavirus vaccinations in Pakistan. Study Design: A cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Sample: Department of Dental Surgery, Altamash Institute of Dental Medicine, Pakistan, between March 2021 and June 2021. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was carried out among 500 individuals who were above 18 years of age. A well-constructed questionnaire consisting of 4 parts (Demographics, Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices) was constructed containing informed consent and distributed online. Spearman correlation test was used to analyse knowledge, attitude, and practices towards coronavirus vaccinations. Results: A total of 500 responses were collected from the participants. Most of the participants had adequate knowledge regarding the availability of the vaccines. About 116 (23.2%) participants had contracted the virus. The majority of 308 (61.7%) participants agreed on vaccines to be effective against the virus. Most of the 401 (80.4%) participants were willing to get themselves vaccinated when their turn comes. 265 out of 500 (53.1%) people have been vaccinated against coronavirus. The minority of people assumed a chip inside the vaccine and religious factors as reasons not to get vaccinated. Those residing in urban locations and with increasing age had better knowledge and attitudes towards vaccinations. Conclusion: To control and contain the ongoing pandemic, vaccination against the coronavirus is a must. There is still scope in evaluating and improving the general population’s knowledge regarding the vaccination programs especially in the rural areas where resources and socioeconomic status is weaker.


RSBO ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabete Rabaldo Bottan ◽  
Iara Fiorentin Comunello ◽  
Constanza Marín ◽  
Eduardo Mazzetti Subtil

Introduction and Objective: To evaluate the level of knowledge about oral cancer of students attending public school in one city of Santa Catarina (Brasil). Material and methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study, using primary data collection. Students of last year of elementary school and first year of high school, enrolled in public schools in the city of Itajaí (SC), in 2012, were the target population. The non-probability sample was obtained by convenience. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire structured with 13 questions divided into three fields. The level of knowledge was made based on pre-established scores. Results: 1149 instruments were analyzed (80.8% of the target population). The average age of the group was 15.5 years and 54.5% were female. The majority (78%) never had received information about oral cancer. Only 27.9% had cognizance about self-examination of the oral cavity. With regard to knowledge, 87.5% classified as unsatisfactory. For most issues the cognitive field did not identify a significant correlation between knowledge and the variables gender and education. When asked if they would like to participate in educational and preventive activitiesabout oral cancer and other issues related to health, 72.6% expressed interest. Conclusion: The group did not have adequate knowledge on the subject of oral cancer. Facing this reality, and the positive attitude of respondents, the researchers designed and offered an educational program to the research subjects.


2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Awatef kelati ◽  
Hanane Baybay ◽  
Mariam Atassi ◽  
Samira Elfakir ◽  
Salim Gallouj ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 205970022110244
Author(s):  
Katie Alison Falla ◽  
Sarah Randall ◽  
Carol DeMatteo

Objectives There are two objectives for this paper. First, to determine effects of a concussion education program in a local school board in terms of concussion-specific knowledge in children and confidence in identifying and managing concussion in adults. Second, to identify differences and similarities in concussion knowledge between children who participate in sports and those who do not and between children with a history of one or more concussions and those without. Design A cross sectional survey regarding concussion knowledge was distributed randomly to students and adults at both pre- and posteducation timepoints. A concussion education program was disseminated across the school board for students between the distribution survey timepoints. Following the education program, adults and students completed their respective post-test surveys. Chi-squared tests in SPSS determined the significance of between-group differences. Results All 17 adults (100.0%) who had received concussion education recently reported confidence in their knowledge of concussion management, compared to 35.7% adults who had not received education for over a year (p = 0.020). For students, all of whom completed the concussion education training between the pre- and post-tests, there were no significant differences in concussion knowledge scores between athletes and non-athletes (either in or outside of school) or between those with a history of concussion and those without. There were no significant changes in concussion knowledge between the pre- and post-tests, except for one question. Conclusion Concussion education programs increase confidence of concussion management protocols in adults involved in sport, but they require improvements to better support knowledge amelioration, particularly for target groups that are at high risk of sustaining another injury.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 232596712199204
Author(s):  
Alexander D. Slabaugh ◽  
John W. Belk ◽  
Jonathan C. Jackson ◽  
Richard J. Robins ◽  
Eric C. McCarty ◽  
...  

Background: COVID-19 is a severe respiratory virus that spreads via person-to-person contact through respiratory droplets. Since being declared a pandemic in early March 2020, the World Health Organization had yet to release guidelines regarding the return of college or professional sports for the 2020-2021 season. Purpose: To survey the head orthopedic surgeons and primary care team physicians for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) football teams so as to gauge the management of common COVID-19 issues for the fall 2020 college football season. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: The head team orthopaedic surgeons and primary care physicians for all 130 FBS football teams were surveyed regarding their opinions on the management of college football during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 30 questions regarding testing, return-to-play protocol, isolating athletes, and other management issues were posed via email survey sent on June 5, 2020. Results: Of the 210 team physicians surveyed, 103 (49%) completed the questionnaire. Overall, 36.9% of respondents felt that it was unsafe for college athletes to return to playing football during fall 2020. While the majority of football programs (96.1%) were testing athletes for COVID-19 as they returned to campus, only 78.6% of programs required athletes to undergo a mandatory quarantine period before resuming involvement in athletic department activities. Of the programs that were quarantining their players upon return to campus, 20% did so for 1 week, 20% for 2 weeks, and 32.9% quarantined their athletes until they had a negative COVID-19 test. Conclusion: While US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines evolve and geographic regions experience a range of COVID-19 infections, determining a universal strategy for return to socialization and participation in sports remains a challenge. The current study highlighted areas of consensus and strong agreement, but the results also demonstrated a need for clarity and consistency in operations, leadership, and guidance for medical professionals in multiple areas as they attempt to safely mitigate risk for college football players amid the COVID-19 pandemic.


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