Citation

DePadilla PhD L, Miller PhD GF, Everett Jones PhD Mph Jd S. J. Sch. Health 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Health Scientist, (sce2@cdc.gov), Division of Adolescent and School Health, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA., USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, American School Health Association, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/josh.12900

PMID

32350884

Abstract

BACKGROUND: School policies and practices designed to educate athletes, parents, and coaches about youth sports concussions may be a way to reduce concussion risk and improve both the recognition and management of concussions.

METHODS: Nationally representative data from the 2014 School Health Policies and Practices Study (SHPPS) were used to assess associations between school demographic characteristics (eg, school level, metropolitan status, and school type) and school policies and practices addressing youth sports concussion-related education for athletes, parents, and coaches.

RESULTS: Overall, many schools had policies and practices that addressed youth sports concussion-related education for athletes, parents, and coaches. There was significant variability in the adoption of policies and practices by some school demographic characteristics. Middle schools, private schools, and urban schools were less likely to adopt many of the policies and practices than high schools, public schools, and rural schools, respectively. For other school characteristics, no consistent patterns of associations emerged.

CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that middle, private, and urban schools, in particular, are more likely to lack youth sports concussion-related educational policies and practices and may need information or resources about the importance of education related to preventing, recognizing, and responding to concussions.

Published 2020. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Language: en

Keywords

concussion; school health policies and practices study; school policy; school sports; sports concussion