Educational concussion module for professional footballers: from systematic development to feasibility and effect

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Neurology
• Health Education

Background:

• Concussion education is crucial for athlete safety in professional football.
• Existing knowledge and attitudes among professional footballers regarding concussion require assessment.
• A targeted educational intervention may improve understanding and management of concussion.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a concussion education module for professional footballers.
• To assess the module's feasibility, including relevance, added value, and suitability.
• To determine if the module enhances concussion knowledge and modifies attitudes.

Main Methods:

• A needs assessment (questionnaires, interviews) informed module development.
• The module included an introductory video and animated educational content.
• A quasi-experimental pretest-post-test study with 61 footballers assessed knowledge and attitudes using the Rosenbaum Concussion Knowledge and Attitudes Survey.

Main Results:

• The concussion module was highly feasible, with 85%-100% positive feedback on relevance, value, duration, and format.
• Mean knowledge scores remained stable post-module (p=0.16).
• Mean attitude scores significantly improved post-module (p=0.01).

Conclusions:

• The developed educational concussion module positively influences professional footballers' attitudes towards concussion.
• While knowledge levels were unchanged, the module's impact on attitude suggests potential for improved concussion management.
• The module's feasibility supports its integration into professional football settings.