Knowledge And Beliefs Of Parents Of Young Athletes Regarding Sports-Related Overuse Injuries

Overuse injuries in the pediatric population constitute a substantial healthcare problem. Approximately 50% of pediatric sports-related injuries occur from overuse (McLeod et al., 2011). Although overuse injuries are not associated with direct mortality, the morbidity of these injuries is significant (Laker, Strum, & Sullivan, 2015). Research has shown that these injuries can be prevented by early recognition and diligent efforts by those that influence a child’s health (McLeod et al., 2011). Parental knowledge and intentionality are vital to the prevention of overuse injuries in children. Researchers administered a descriptive, quantitative survey to parents of young athletes ages 5 to 18 years. Survey results from 204 respondents found that parents had a general understanding and seeming awareness of signs and symptoms, risks factors, and prevention strategies for overuse injuries. Results revealed a lack of proper screening for overuse injuries by healthcare providers. The study found that a majority of parents do not believe that their child athlete is at risk for injury. Some deficits were recognized, particularly related to safe amounts of practice and performance, sports-specialization, and specific signs and symptoms of overuse injuries. The researchers recommend that healthcare providers focus more diligently on providing healthcare to young athletes in clinical settings, educating the parents, and implementing standardized questionnaire and assessment tools to the young athletes