Assessment of Parental Knowledge and Attitudes Toward Pediatric Sports-Related Concussions

Abstract

Background:Parents of young athletes play a major role in the identification and management of sports-related concussions. However, they are often unaware of the consequences of concussions and recommended management techniques.Hypothesis:This study quantitatively assessed parental understanding of concussions to identify specific populations in need of additional education. We predicted that parents with increased education and prior sports- and concussion-related experience would have more knowledge and safer attitudes toward concussions.Study Design:Cross-sectional survey.Level of Evidence:Level 5.Methods:Participants were parents of children brought to a pediatric hospital and 4 satellite clinics for evaluation of orthopaedic injuries. Participants completed a validated questionnaire that assessed knowledge of concussion symptoms, attitudes regarding diagnosis and return-to-play guidelines, and previous sports- and concussion-related experience.Results:Over 8 months, 214 parents completed surveys. Participants scored an average of 18.4 (possible, 0-25) on the Concussion Knowledge Index and 63.1 (possible, 15-75) on the Concussion Attitude Index. Attitudes were safest among white women, and knowledge increased with income and education levels. Previous sports experience did not affect knowledge or attitudes, but parents who reported experiencing an undiagnosed concussion had significantly better concussion knowledge than those who did not.Conclusion:Parents with low income and education levels may benefit from additional concussion-related education.Clinical Relevance:There exist many opportunities for improvement in parental knowledge and attitudes about pediatric sports-related concussions. Ongoing efforts to understand parental knowledge of concussions will inform the development of a strategic and tailored approach to the prevention and management of pediatric concussions.

A Multifactorial Approach to Sport-Related Concussion Prevention and Education: Application of the Socioecological Framework

“…The approach to SRC prevention should be multifactorial and encompass more than simply providing an education sheet and a video for athletes and coaches. Measures of the effectiveness of concussion policies and programs should extend beyond knowledge 63,78 Encourage teammates in concussion safety and concussion disclosure 83 During preseason, AT holds parent-team meetings to educate about concussion, review appropriate policies, and discuss postinjury management scenarios AT provides postinjury anticipatory guidance to patients and families throughout recovery course Intrapersonal Educate athletes and provide opportunities for experiential and observational learning 93 Address attitudes about concussion disclosure 13,89 Encourage and support concussion disclosure 63 Correct misperceived concussion-related norms 79,80 Educate athletes about appropriate sport skills aimed at keeping head out of play and following rules 43 Ensure that concussion education being provided to athletes has been evaluated and demonstrated effectiveness in changing at least knowledge but ideally other relevant factors (eg, attitudes, norms, and reporting intention) Remind athletes about importance of concussion safety throughout season…”

“…When present at sport games or interacting with their children postgame, parents are another set of eyes to help identify whether an athlete should seek medical evaluation for a possible SRC. Parental education about SRC may support this identification process; however, limited evidence 63,65,85 indicates whether greater SRC knowledge necessarily translates into more accurate SRC identification among parents. Prospective research on behavioral outcomes is necessary to determine the components of effective education for parents to support them in identifying SRCs and seeking medical care for their children if necessary.…”

Concussion Knowledge of Youth Sport Athletes, Coaches, and Parents: A Review

“…Second, due to the use of convenience sampling (i.e., selection bias) in several reviewed studies, there was a wide variation in the stakeholder's demographics. Such variation is concerning because research suggests that age, education, gender, and socioeconomic status can affect the stakeholders' concussion knowledge (Bagley et al, 2012;Kurowski et al, 2014;Lin et al, 2015). The present review was, therefore, a holistic evaluation of YSS's concussion knowledge and may have unintentionally disregarded the aforementioned demographics which could have affected their baseline knowledge.…”

Building Statewide Infrastructure for the Academic Support of Students With Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

“…Parents and caregivers should play a critical role in brain injury identification and children's return to learning and activity. However, many are not fully aware of the consequences of brain injury in children 43 and often have misconceptions about brain injuries. 44,45 Thus, parent support and education are a critical part of return-to-school and return-to-activity programs.…”