Citation

Wicklund A, Roy AA, Coatsworth JD. Clin. J. Sport. Med. 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Canadian Academy of Sport Medicine, Publisher Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/JSM.0000000000000813

PMID

32032159

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Providing a medical definition of concussion improves reliability of self-reported history of concussion in adult former athletes. We examine whether providing a medical definition of concussion to youth athletes increases the number of concussions reported, and whether reporting differs by age, sex, or sport type.

DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SETTING: Concussion specialty clinic. PARTICIPANTS: Convenience sample of youth athletes (n = 301; mean age = 15.1 ± 1.6 years) presenting for evaluation of sports-related concussion. INDEPENDENT VARIABLES: Number of concussions reported before and after presentation of the medical definition of concussion ("vignette"). OUTCOME MEASURES: Number of concussions reported after vignette. Paired-sample t test examined for main effect of the vignette on reporting behavior. One-way between-subjects analysis of variance with pairwise comparisons assessed for group differences.

RESULTS: Thirty percent of youth athletes reported an increase in number of concussions after vignette overall (P < 0.000). There was no significant difference in reporting behavior by age, sex, or sport type.

CONCLUSIONS: Providing the medical definition of concussion, a simple and brief intervention, gives youth athletes context to understand when a concussion has occurred. This results in an increase in the number of concussions reported when gathering a self-reported history. Reporting behavior after a vignette does not differ across sex, sport type, or age of the athlete.

Language: en