Differences in concussion knowledge between parents and their children in a multidisciplinary concussion clinic...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Sports Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• Concussion knowledge is crucial for appropriate management and recovery in youth athletes.
• Understanding current knowledge gaps in patient populations is essential for developing targeted educational interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess concussion knowledge in youth and parents treated at a concussion center.
• To compare this knowledge with that of adolescents in a general high school population.

Main Methods:

• A 22-item concussion knowledge survey was administered to 50 youth and 36 parents at a concussion clinic.
• Responses were compared to data from 500 high school adolescents.
• Chi-square and t-tests analyzed knowledge differences based on concussion history, age, and gender.

Main Results:

• All groups demonstrated high accuracy (>90%) on return-to-play guidelines and similar knowledge of symptoms.
• Significant knowledge deficits were observed regarding concussion diagnosis, neurological consequences, and long-term risks (19%-68% accuracy).
• The patient group was more likely to misattribute neck symptoms to concussion.

Conclusions:

• Current educational approaches may inadequately convey critical information about concussion.
• Educational tools require tailoring to specific settings and populations to improve concussion literacy.
• Further research into effective concussion education strategies is warranted.