Concussion knowledge and attitudes amongst Stellenbosch University hostel rugby players

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.

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Concussion knowledge and attitudes among amateur South African rugby players

South African Journal of Sports Medicine ◽

10.17159/2078-516x/2017/v29i0a1942 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 29 (1) ◽

pp. 1-6

Author(s):

C Viljoen ◽

M Schoeman ◽

C Brandt ◽

J Patricios ◽

C Van Rooyen

Keyword(s):

South African ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Return To Play ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Knowledge And Attitudes ◽

Adequate Knowledge ◽

Concussion Knowledge ◽

Concussion Attitudes ◽

Rugby Players ◽

Concussion Education

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.

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Knowledge and Attitudes Towards Concussion in Western Province Rugby Union Senior Club Rugby Players

International Journal of Sports Medicine ◽

10.1055/a-0959-2113 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 40 (13) ◽

pp. 825-830

Author(s):

Wilbur Kraak ◽

Lize Coetzee ◽

Anika Kruger ◽

Reeco Stewart ◽

Hanno van Vuuren

Keyword(s):

Medical Staff ◽

Quantitative Information ◽

Rugby Union ◽

Knowledge And Attitudes ◽

Western Province ◽

Superior Knowledge ◽

Student Version ◽

Concussion Knowledge ◽

Rugby Players ◽

Super League

AbstractConcussion is a frequently occurring injury in rugby which is not usually reported to coaches or medical staff. Recognition and treatment of concussion should be a priority; however, education surrounding concussion knowledge and attitudes of the players have been lacking. The aim of this study was to investigate the knowledge and attitudes toward concussion in Western Province Rugby Union (WPRU) Super League senior club rugby players. This study focused on gathering quantitative information from WPRU club rugby players, using the Rosenbaum Concussion Knowledge and Attitudes Survey-Student Version (RoCKAS-ST). The correlation between the Concussion Attitude Index (CAI) and Concussion Knowledge Index (CKI) was (r=0.14). The CKI average for the players was (16.72±2.96). The participants answered 67% (16.72±2.96) of the CKI questions and 62% (46.54±5.75) of the CAI questions correctly. The participants demonstrated sufficient knowledge of concussion, as well as safe attitudes toward concussion. A small number of players lacked knowledge of symptoms and attitudes toward concussion, which may have been influenced by the importance of games. Overall, the participants in this study demonstrated superior knowledge and safe attitudes compared to other studies. The current study found that the players had good knowledge and safe attitudes regarding the severity of concussion.

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Concussion knowledge and attitudes amongst community club rugby stakeholders

International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching ◽

10.1177/1747954120913175 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 15 (3) ◽

pp. 297-305

Author(s):

Hanno van Vuuren ◽

Karen Welman ◽

Wilbur Kraak

Keyword(s):

South African ◽

Medical Staff ◽

Quantitative Information ◽

Rugby Union ◽

Administrative Staff ◽

Attitude Survey ◽

Knowledge And Attitudes ◽

Student Version ◽

Concussion Knowledge ◽

Knowledge And Attitude

Due to the nature of rugby, concussions are a frequent occurrence and can go undetected by different stakeholders. Knowledge regarding identification of symptoms, management and prevention of re-injury is crucial for the welfare of players. The aim of the study was to determine the concussion knowledge and attitudes among different community club rugby stakeholders. The study gathered quantitative information by utilizing the Rosenbaum Concussion Knowledge and Attitude Survey-Student Version (RoCKAS-ST). Of all the participants (N = 434), medical staff (79 ± 10%) provided the highest Concussion Knowledge Index scores followed by referees (78 ± 8%) and players (67 ± 13%). The stakeholders scored 76% overall for Concussion Attitude Index. Across the scenarios the different participants believed to have safer attitudes compared to that of others within their team. Statistical differences were found between stakeholders when asked if concussion is less important than other injuries, as players, coaches and administrative staff all indicated an unsafe response in contrast to that of referees (p < 0.01). Players indicated an unsafe attitude towards returning to play, while symptomatic as a result of a concussion whereas coaches indicated a safer response (p < 0.01). Only two out of eight legitimate symptoms, headaches and dizziness, were correctly identified by 80% or more of participants, which warrants concern that identification of symptoms could be lacking on this level. Investigating the knowledge and attitudes of concussion at community club rugby level could identify which areas are to be further targeted by the South African Rugby Union.

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Skin cancer knowledge and attitudes in the region of Fez, Morocco: a cross-sectional study

BMC Dermatology ◽

10.1186/s12895-017-0055-8 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Awatef kelati ◽

Hanane Baybay ◽

Mariam Atassi ◽

Samira Elfakir ◽

Salim Gallouj ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Skin Cancer ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cancer Knowledge ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Knowledge And Attitudes

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Baseline Concussion Testing Increases Agreement With Favorable Concussion Safety Decisions in Hypothetical Scenarios

Health Education & Behavior ◽

10.1177/10901981211003509 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 109019812110035

Author(s):

Christina Deuschle ◽

Julian Keith ◽

Kelly Dugan ◽

Mark Williams ◽

Sasi Taravath ◽

...

Keyword(s):

General Population ◽

National Collegiate Athletic Association ◽

Effective Means ◽

Safety Behavior ◽

Knowledge And Attitudes ◽

Attitudes And Perceptions ◽

Student Version ◽

Baseline Testing ◽

Added Benefit ◽

Concussion Knowledge

Background Dangers of sports-related concussion are well documented, and those participating in sports involving significant contact are at an even higher risk relative to the general population. Despite extensive concussion education, athletes still make decisions that would be considered unsafe, such as underreporting and continuing to play despite experiencing symptoms. Although baseline testing is an increasingly common practice at all levels of sport, little is known about its ability to improve player safety perceptions. Aims The current study examines whether taking part in a standardized baseline concussion assessment changes athletes’ knowledge, attitudes, or perceptions of concussion safety decisions. Method A total of 229 club and National Collegiate Athletic Association athletes completed a modified Rosenbaum Concussion Knowledge and Attitudes Survey–Student Version (RoCKAS-ST), which was used to evaluate knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of concussion safety decisions in hypothetical scenarios. Athletes were randomly assigned to either complete baseline concussion testing prior to the RoCKAS-ST or complete baseline testing after the RoCKAS-ST. Results Athletes randomly assigned to complete baseline testing before the RoCKAS-ST demonstrated greater agreement with favorable concussion safety decisions in hypothetical scenarios relative to athletes completing baseline testing after the RoCKAS-ST. The two conditions did not differ with respect to concussion knowledge or attitudes. Discussion Baseline testing appears to have an added benefit of resulting in more favorable perceptions toward making safe decisions following suspected concussions. Conclusion Baseline testing may provide an effective means of improving a broader constellation of concussion safety behavior, particularly in club athletes, who are typically underserved in terms of concussion-related resources and care.

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Prostate cancer awareness and attitude toward early detection among male soldiers in Ghana: a cross-sectional study

African Journal of Urology ◽

10.1186/s12301-019-0004-3 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 25 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Juliana Gyasi Necku ◽

Emmanuel Anongeba Anaba ◽

Aaron Asibi Abuosi

Keyword(s):

Prostate Cancer ◽

Early Detection ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Health Interventions ◽

Effective Management ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cancer Awareness ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Knowledge And Attitudes ◽

Positive Attitudes

Abstract Background Prostate cancer (PC) is the leading cause of cancer deaths among men in Ghana. This poses a public health threat, especially among the Ghana Armed Force (GAF) where the majority are males. This study aimed to assess male soldiers’ awareness, knowledge and attitudes toward early detection of prostate cancer. Results It was found that 58.3% of the soldiers were less aware of PC and 76.0% had low or neutral knowledge regarding risk factors and symptoms of PC. The soldiers had positive attitudes toward early detection but had low intentions of getting tested. Awareness was significantly associated with education, rank, haven received PC information from a health worker and being knowledgeable of signs of PC. Conclusion We recommend that management of the GAF should liaise with the Ministry of Health to sensitize and educate soldiers on prostate cancer, and if possible, organize periodic screening activities for the soldiers to aid in early detection and effective management of the disease. The findings of this study provide valuable information for health interventions in Ghana.

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Knowledge and attitudes of nursing professors and students concerning the interface between spirituality, religiosity and health

Revista Latino-Americana de Enfermagem ◽

10.1590/s0104-11692011000500019 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 19 (5) ◽

pp. 1205-1213 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

Claudia de Souza Tomasso ◽

Ideraldo Luiz Beltrame ◽

Giancarlo Lucchetti

Keyword(s):

Religious Affiliation ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Religious Practices ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Clinical Practices ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Knowledge And Attitudes ◽

The University ◽

Common Barriers

This study compares the knowledge and attitudes of nursing professors and students concerning the interface between spirituality, religiosity and health. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 30 nursing professors and 118 students. The results reveal that more than 95% of the participants had some religious affiliation, 96% believed that spirituality considerably influences patients' health, and 77% wished to address this subject. However, only 36% felt prepared for it and most believed that the university did not provide the necessary information. No statistical differences were found between the religious practices of nursing professors and students, though a marked difference was found in their clinical practices and opinions concerning spirituality and its inclusion in the program's curriculum. The most common barriers to addressing such a subject were: fear of imposing one's own beliefs, lack of time, and fear of offending patients.

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