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Published on: September 25, 2014
Online concussion resources for young children and caregivers: a systematic search
Nikoleta Odorico1, Mackenzie Kauth2, Sarah Butt2
1Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Insights
Online concussion resources for children aged 3-12 years offer accurate information but often lack accessibility for nonreaders. Future resources should be tailored for specific age groups and include guidance on returning to active play.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Medicine
- Public Health
- Health Informatics
Background:
- Concussions are prevalent in Canadian children aged 3-12 years.
- Caregivers are crucial for pediatric concussion management.
- Existing online resources may not be suitable for young children and their caregivers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and evaluate online concussion resources for children aged 3-12 years and their caregivers.
- To assess the quality, readability, usability, and suitability of these resources.
Main Methods:
- A systematic search of Canadian children's hospital websites was conducted.
- Resources were screened using inclusion/exclusion criteria.
- Content quality, suitability, readability, and usability were evaluated.
Main Results:
- 17 out of 738 resources met the criteria.
- Most resources (82.4%) required reading ability.
- Few resources specified target age or addressed return to active play.
Conclusions:
- Identified resources provide accurate concussion information but lack audience specificity and accessibility for nonreaders.
- Future resources should target specific age groups and improve accessibility.
- Inclusion of information on returning to active play is recommended.
Introduction:
In Canada, concussions are common among children aged 3-12 years. Caregivers play a vital role in their child's post-concussion care, highlighting the need for resources tailored to children and caregivers. Although many online pediatric concussion resources exist, their suitability for younger children and caregivers remains unclear.
Objective:
To identify and assess the quality, readability, usability, and suitability of online concussion resources for children aged 3-12 years and their caregivers.
Methods:
A four-phased systematic search strategy was used and involved: 1) searching Canadian children's hospital websites, 2) applying pre-established inclusion/exclusion criteria, 3) evaluating content quality, and 4) evaluating resources for suitability, readability, and usability.
Results:
The search yielded 738 resources.17 met the final criteria. Among these, 82.4% (n = 14) required the ability to read text, 11.8% (n = 2) specified the age of the resource targeted, and 5.9% (n = 1) focused on return to play beyond organized sport.
Conclusions:
The identified resources offer accurate concussion information for children and caregivers, but lack specificity for their intended audience and accessibility for nonreaders. Future resources should consider specifying the intended age group, improving accessibility for nonreaders, and including information about important activities for this age group such as returning to active play.
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