A Systematic Review of the Effectiveness of Concussion Education Programs for Coaches and Parents of Youth Athletes

Abstract

Coach and parent concussion education programs are essential for the prevention, diagnosis, management, and return to play of youth athletes. This systematic review examined the content and efficacy (changes in knowledge, impact on concussion incidence) of concussion education programs for coaches and parents of youth and high school athletes. Six databases were searched: SPORTDiscus, Academic Search Premiere, CINAHL, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Google Scholar. Studies evaluated the use and/or efficacy of concussion education programs among coaches or parents of youth athletes. A total of 13 articles (out of 1553 articles) met selection criteria. Although different concussion education programs exist, only three have been evaluated in the literature: ACTive Athletic Concussion Training™, USA Football’s Heads Up Football, and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s HEADS UP. These programs are well liked among coaches and parents and the suggested practices are easily implemented by coaches. These programs increased concussion knowledge among coaches and parents and promoted behavioral changes among coaches to reduce the concussion risk in high school sports. Few studies have assessed the efficacy of concussion education programs on youth athlete health outcomes. No studies included a longitudinal follow up to determine the degree of knowledge retention following the intervention. While online educational programs are sufficient to improve coach knowledge, in-person training may be a more effective educational tool for reducing the incidence of youth sport concussion. Future studies addressing the efficacy of concussion education programs should include a longitudinal follow up to assess knowledge retention and fidelity.

A Longitudinal Observation of the Influence of Michigan Sports Concussion Law on Parents’ Knowledge and Perception of Sport-Related Concussion

“…[23][24][25] This increase may reflect increasing athletic participation levels 26 or represent better education and recognition of concussion by coaches, trainers, doctors and lay-persons. 27,28 The largest sample subgroup of parents and guardians reported that the concussion educational handout they had received was the most helpful source of information. As not all states now require this type of parent education, we have concluded that further nationwide legislation would provide parents with the necessary tools to recognize concussion in their youth athletes and contribute to improved overall safety in athletics.…”

Concussion Nondisclosure in Youth Sports

“…10 To provide resources to this sport population, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) developed the Heads Up Concussion in Youth Sport initiative, a free, online course to increase O n l i n e F i r s t awareness on preventing, recognizing, and responding to concussion in youth sports. 11 This national awareness initiative has had a positive influence on concussion knowledge in parents, coaches and youth athletes, 12,13 but it is unclear whether this increase in knowledge translates to more favorable identification and disclosure practices. Further, recent investigations highlight a disconnect between health literacy and care-seeking behaviors in which interventioned aimed at increasing concussion knowledge did not yeild improvements in concussion disclosure.…”

Going Beyond the State Law: Investigating High School Sport-Related Concussion Protocols

“…While a handout or online course may be cost effective and fulfill state law and athletic association requirements, these options may not be as effective as in-person training sessions for coaches and parents of athletes. 25 Educational strategies that go beyond passive information including face-to-face interactive lectures, peer-topeer instruction, or active learning games should be considered. [26][27][28] There is speculation that an increased understanding of SRC consequences may lead athletes to adopt safer styles of play, but there are no investigations that support education alone as a primary prevention strategy for SRCs.…”