Understanding the Level of Concussion Knowledge in High School Sports in New Jersey.

BACKGROUND

Coaches, athletic trainers (ATCs), and parents/guardians (parents) are important contributors to the proper identification and management of concussions in student-athletes. However, there are limited studies on the identification of concussion knowledge gaps that will help inform educational efforts and improve concussion outcomes in these groups.

OBJECTIVE

To identify gaps and factors influencing concussion knowledge for high school athletics.

DESIGN

Survey.

SETTING

Public, private, and recreational leagues in New Jersey.

PARTICIPANTS

41 coaches, 34 ATCs, and 65 parents of high school student-athletes.

METHODS

A 17-item online survey examining concussion knowledge was distributed to coaches, ATCs, and parents. Analyses included ANOVA for between-group comparisons of continuous variables and Pearson's correlations for categorical data.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS

Demographics, concussion knowledge, application of knowledge, access to educational materials, and confidence in the ability to identify concussions.

RESULTS

Significant between-group differences were found for overall knowledge (F[2137] = 11.0, P < .001), factual knowledge (F[2137] = 8.7, P < .001), and application of knowledge (F[2137] = 3.5, P = .03), with parents scoring lower. Coaches, ATCs, and parents had gaps in factual knowledge of baseline testing scores and identification regarding symptom severity. More coaches (73.2%) and ATCs (97.1%) felt confident in concussion knowledge compared with parents (31.3%; P < .001). All groups thought mandatory education, new law, and guidelines were positive in promoting better care of student-athletes.

CONCLUSIONS

Knowledge gaps were identified in all groups. Educational programs for these groups should consider including targeted techniques, including vignettes, to illustrate application of concussion knowledge.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

III.