Educational Needs Regarding Concussion in Youth Athletes

Concussions are a major health concern for youth athletes. Parents and coaches of youth athletes are often tasked with monitoring, treating, and managing youth athletes who are suffering from a concussion. The purpose of this study was to increase education provided to parents and coaches of youth athletes regarding concussions, concussion symptoms, and concussion management. Parents and coaches (n=64) of youth athletes in grades seven through twelve participated in a pretest, educational opportunity, and posttest study design to determine if knowledge of concussions, concussion symptoms, and concussion management increased following an educational presentation. Participants were recruited via convenience sampling from local school districts and social media platforms. Participant knowledge was measured prior-to and following an educational presentation. The findings of the study indicated that parents and coaches had increased knowledge of concussions, concussion symptoms, and concussion management following the educational presentation. Specifically, misidentification of symptoms and identification of proper management strategies improved significantly following the educational presentation. Increasing education for parents and coaches of youth athletes will increase knowledge regarding concussions, concussion symptoms, and concussion management. Future studies should focus on symptom identification and proper management strategies of concussions