Factors associated with parent and youth athlete concussion knowledge

Introduction: On-site health care providers are not routinely present at all youth sport events. Therefore, parents and youth athletes are often responsible for identifying and making appropriate immediate care decisions regarding concussions, which may be influenced by their injury health literacy. Previous studies have investigated the level of concussion knowledge of parents and athletes, but few have investigated factors associated with greater awareness at the youth sport level specifically. Method: A total of 466 parents and 390 youth contact sport athletes from Pennsylvania and Michigan completed separate surveys of concussion knowledge and personal and family demographic information. Results: Parents had a mean concussion knowledge score of 39.3 +/- 4.6 out of a possible 47 points. Having a medical occupation (p = .04) and being older in age (p = .03) were associated with higher concussion knowledge scores in parents (R-2 = 0.018; 95% CI = 32.77-38.99). Youth athletes had a mean concussion knowledge score of 35.0 +/- 5.7 out of 47. Having learned about concussion previously (p < .001), having a history of diagnosed concussion(s) (p = .01), sport type (relative to girls' ice hockey, p < .001), older age (p < .001), and parent concussion knowledge (p = .04) were associated with higher youth athlete concussion knowledge (R-2 = 0.176; 95% CI = 19.08-31.72). Conclusions: More evidence-based concussion awareness resources are needed at the youth sport level. While it did not significantly influence concussion knowledge for parents, concussion education is a modifiable factor that may be essential for improving concussion knowledge of youth athletes, thus warranting further study into effective awareness strategies for this population. Practical Applications: The factors found to influence concussion knowledge in this study could be considered in future educational concussion initiatives for youth athletes and their parents in order to increase awareness regarding the potential dangers of participating in sport while concussed. (C) 2021 National Safety Council and Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

More evidence-based concussion awareness resources are needed at the youth sport level. Concussion education is a crucial factor in improving the knowledge of youth athletes, and further research is needed to develop effective awareness strategies.