Citation

Kajankova M, Oswald JM, Terranova LM, Kaplen MV, Ambrose AF, Spielman LA, Gordon WA. J. Sch. Health 2017; 87(6): 409-415.

Affiliation

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, One Gustave Levy Place, Box 1163, New York, NY 10029.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, American School Health Association, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/josh.12508

PMID

28463444

Abstract

BACKGROUND: By 2014, all states implemented concussion laws that schools must translate into daily practice; yet, limited knowledge exists regarding implementation of these laws. We examined the extent to which concussion management policies and procedure (P&P) documents of New York State school districts comply with the State's Concussion Awareness and Management Act (the Act). We also aimed to identify barriers to compliance.

METHODS: Forty-seven school districts provided P&P documents. We examined compliance with the Act and the relationship between compliance and each district's demographics.

RESULTS: Compliance varied across school districts, with higher overall compliance in large city school districts compared to county districts. However, there was low compliance for several critical items. We found no statistically significant relationship between compliance and demographics.

CONCLUSIONS: School districts need to increase compliance with concussion legislation to ensure the adequate implementation necessary for the law to impact health and educational outcomes. The results provide important information to individuals charged with the responsibility of implementation and ultimately reducing the negative outcomes associated with brain injuries in schools.

© 2017, American School Health Association.

Language: en

Keywords

concussion health policy; concussion legislation; injury prevention; physical fitness and sports