BACKGROUND Sports-related mild traumatic brain injuries (sports related concussion, SRC) have received increasing attention since neurodegenerative processes have been linked to repetitive SRCs. Return-to-Play (RTP) rules have been established for medical advised return into sports activities after concussion, but it is not clear if these rules also reach the sports clubs and its young athletes. OBJECTIVE In youth sports, athletes and their parents search the internet for advice after SRC. We therefore investigated which websites of German sports associations and clubs in football (soccer), handball and rugby offer information on SRC and RTP rules. METHODS The systematic analysis included websites of local football, handball and rugby clubs in two comparable regions in Southern Bavaria and Lower Saxony. The websites of the regional and the German umbrella associations were also included into the study. Eight criteria of the revised Sport Concussion Consensus Statement served as standard for the evaluation according to the protocol published by Swallow et al. (J Neurosurg Pediatr, 2018). RESULTS No information on RTP rules or the topic “sports-related brain injuries” could be found on any of the clubs’ websites. Only the Bavarian Football Association and the Rugby Association sporadically provided information on the topic. The German umbrella associations in football and rugby take up international documents and regulations of the European and the world associations. No information could be found at the German Handball Association. CONCLUSIONS The topics of sports-related brain injuries and RTP rules are mostly neglected on the analysed Websites. This is remarkable, as there are clearly defined consensus guidelines which are widely accepted in international comparison. Especially in the USA, online information on this topic has become standard.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.