Examination of collegiate student-athlete concussion reporting intentions and behavior.

BACKGROUND: Clinicians rely on student-athletes to self-report concussion symptoms, but more than 50% of concussions go undisclosed. AIM: The aim of this study was to determine whether knowledge, attitudes, subjective norms, self-efficacy, social identity, and athletic identity explain variability in student-athlete concussion reporting intentions and behavior. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and forty-seven Division I and II collegiate student-athletes (male=23, female=56, missing=168; age=19.04±1.98 years) completed survey segments regarding the following predictor variables: Concussion knowledge, attitudes, subjective norms, self-efficacy, social identity, and athletic identity; and the following criterion variables: Reporting intentions (symptom and concussion reporting) and reporting behavior (symptom and concussion reporting) (completion rate=29.2%). Separate linear and logistic regressions were performed for each criterion variable. Backward elimination Akaike Information Criterion was applied to determine the best fit model. RESULTS: A one-point increase in knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy predicted a significant 0.55, 0.23, and 0.31 increase in symptom reporting intentions, and 0.24, 0.30, and 0.33 increase in concussion reporting intentions of concussion reporting. As self-efficacy increased, symptom reporting behavior increased by 140%. When knowledge increased, concussion reporting behavior decreased by 23%. Whereas when subjective norms increased, concussion reporting behavior increased by 23%. CONCLUSIONS: A student-athletes' confidence, or self-efficacy, was a frequent predictor of concussion reporting intentions and behavior. RELEVANCE FOR PATIENTS: Clinicians should aim to increase student-athlete knowledge, attitudes, and subjective norms, but most importantly their confidence in reporting concussions.

Coach, sports medicine, and parent influence on concussion care seeking intentions and behaviors in collegiate student-athletes.

BACKGROUND: Sport is a socio-ecological framework where student-athletes are part of a larger community of stakeholders, including coaches, sports medicine professionals (SMPs), and parents. This framework may hold influence over whether student-athletes seek care for a concussion. AIM: We aimed to describe, compare, and determine the influence of stakeholder concussion knowledge, attitudes, and concussion scenario responses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We recruited a sample of 477 student-athletes and their 27 coaches (response rate=46.6%), 24 SMPs (48.7%), and 31 parents/guardians (4.8%). Stakeholder surveys assessed their concussion knowledge, attitudes toward care seeking, and concussion scenario responses. Surveys administered to student-athletes assessed their concussion care seeking intentions and behaviors. Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to compare responses between stakeholder groups and to determine the differences in student-athlete intentions and behaviors (alpha=0.05). RESULTS: SMPs had significantly better knowledge (p<0.001) and concussion scenario responses (p<0.001) compared to both coaches and parents. SMPs also had significantly better attitudes compared to parents, but not coaches (p=0.038). Coach concussion scenario responses (p=0.044) and SMP knowledge positively influenced student-athletes' concussion care seeking intentions (p=0.049). Parent responses were not associated with their child's concussion care seeking intentions and behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: The gap in coach and parent concussion knowledge and concussion scenario response relative to SMPs is a preliminary target for stakeholder concussion education and supports the current sports medicine model where SMPs primarily disseminate concussion education. Stakeholders, specifically coaches and SMPs, do hold influence over collegiate athlete concussion care seeking intentions and behaviors. RELEVANCE FOR PATIENTS: Stakeholders should be addressed within educational efforts aimed at student-athletes and should also complete stakeholder-specific concussion education.

Improving Concussion Reporting across National College Athletic Association Divisions Using a Theory-Based, Data-Driven, Multimedia Concussion Education Intervention.

Although a base level of knowledge is needed to recognize a concussion, knowledge-focused concussion educational materials ignore multifaceted barriers to concussion reporting. We compared student-athlete concussion reporting intentions and behaviors prior to and 1 year after exposure to an intervention or control treatment. We randomly assigned 891 collegiate student-athletes from three universities (Divisions I, II, III) to either the control group (National College Athletic Association [NCAA] Concussion Fact Sheet) or intervention group (theory-based, data-driven, multimedia, simulated concussion reporting module). A final sample of 520 student-athletes (control = 253, intervention = 267, expired eligibility = 189, left university = 182) completed intentions and behaviors surveys immediately prior to and 1 year after the educational intervention, and a second survey to assess the intervention effect. We compared intentions using 2 x 2 mixed model analyses of variance (ANOVAs). Behaviors and educational intervention effect were assessed using logistic regression models (α = 0.05). The intervention group had significantly improved concussion reporting intentions at 1-year follow-up relative to the control group (p = 0.009), but had similar odds for behaviors. The intervention group had 2.42 times greater odds of rating the module as "very effective," rather than "not effective" relative to the control group (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.10,5.33). Relative to the control group, the intervention group had significantly greater odds of responding that the concussion education "greatly improved" rather than "did not improve" their knowledge (odds ratio [OR]: 2.49, 95% CI:1.25,4.96), attitudes (OR: 2.22, 95% CI: 1.23,4.03), self-efficacy (OR: 1.95,95% CI: 1.05,3.60), and intentions (OR: 1.86,95% CI: 1.03,3.35). The intervention was more effective at targeting elements of the overall sport culture in a way that substantively improved concussion reporting. We recommend use of this intervention in combination with other evidence-based educational materials.

Collegiate student-athlete sex, years of sport eligibility completed, and sport contact level influence on concussion reporting intentions and behaviours.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine whether sex, years of sport eligibility completed, and sport contact level influenced student-athletes' concussion reporting intentions and behaviours. RESEARCH DESIGN: Cross-sectional. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Student-athletes (n = 828) reported their sex, years of sport eligibility completed, sport, and completed concussion reporting intentions and behaviours surveys. Nonparametric statistics were conducted to compare intentions and behaviours between groups (alpha = 0.05). MAIN OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: Females had higher indirect intentions to report concussion than males (p = 0.035), but did not differ in direct intentions (p = 0.258) or behaviours (indirect: p = 0.756; direct: p = 0.686). Intentions (indirect: p = 0.383; direct: p = 0.397) and behaviours (indirect: p = 0.154; direct: p = 0.999) did not differ between years of sport eligibility completed. Limited/non-contact sport student-athletes intended to report more concussions than those in collision/contact sports (indirect: p = 0.001; direct: p = 0.021), but did not differ in behaviours (indirect: p = 0.184; direct: p = 0.497). CONCLUSIONS: Data suggest that female and limited/non-contact sport student-athletes intended to report more concussions, however differences did not translate to reporting behaviours.