Citation

Jalleh G, Donovan RJ, Clarkson J, March K, Foster M, Giles-Corti B. Aust. N. Zeal. J. Public Health 2001; 25(3): 250-252.

Affiliation

Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer Control, Division of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia. g.jalleh@cc.curtin.edu.au

Copyright

(Copyright © 2001, Public Health Association of Australia, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

11494994

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate a Western Australian mouthguard promotion campaign, launched at the start of the 1997/98 junior rugby union and junior basketball seasons, aimed at increasing mouthguard usage at competition and training. METHOD: A quasi-experimental field design was used to assess the impact of the mouthguard campaign on behavioural change. Observational data were collected pre- and post-campaign on mouthguard usage by players present at a rugby and basketball competition event and at a training session. Junior Australian Rules Football players were used as a control group. RESULTS: Pre-post observational surveys showed a significantly greater increase in mouthguard usage in competition games among rugby union (77% to 84%) and basketball players (23% to 43%) compared with the control group (72% to 73%). All codes showed a post-campaign increase in mouthguard usage at training, but the intervention codes' increases were greater than the control's increase (rugby union: 29% to 40%; basketball: 11% to 36%; football: 34% to 40%). CONCLUSIONS: The campaign had a significant and substantial effect on behaviour and provides evidence of the benefits of leveraging a sponsorship to modify the behaviour of the target group. IMPLICATIONS: This campaign provides a model for promoting mouthguard usage in other sports among junior players.