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Updated: Sep 16, 2025
A Multi-Modal Approach to Assessing Recovery in Youth Athletes Following Concussion
Published on: September 25, 2014
A Comparison of Determinants of Musculoskeletal and Concussion Injury Disclosure in Adolescent Athletes: An
Kelly Cheever1,2, Aliza K Nedimyer3, Johna K Register-Mihalik4,5
1Applied Biomechanics Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas.
Objective:
Despite the identification of persistent neuromusculoskeletal control deficits and secondary musculoskeletal (MSK) injury after a concussion, no clear explanation exists to explain this interaction. This article explored the association between the intention to disclose a concussion and intention to disclose an MSK injury among adolescent athletes.
Design:
Cross-Sectional.
Setting:
Online Survey.
Patients Or Other Participants:
Five hundred sixty-four athletes between the ages of 12 and 18 years [male = 58.2%, age = 15.8 (1.8)].
Independent Variables:
Sex, gender, age, and socioeconomic status.
Main Outcome Measures:
Online survey exploring determinants of musculoskeletal and concussion injury disclosure intentionality, knowledge of signs and symptoms, as well as attitudes, perceived social norms, and perceived behavioral control surrounding injury disclosure.
Results:
There was a strong, positive correlation between intention to disclose a concussion and intention to disclose an MSK injury (r = 0.578, P < 0.001). Knowledge of signs, symptoms, and consequences, attitudes toward disclosure, and perceived social norms surrounding injury disclosure of both concussion and MSK injury were also shown to be significant predictive determinates. Male adolescent athletes were significantly more likely to report both an MSK injury and a concussion. In addition, although a history of concussion decreased concussion disclosure intentionality, a history of MSK injury increased MSK injury disclosure intentionality.
Conclusions:
Intention to disclose a concussion was positively associated with intention to disclose an MSK injury. Future studies should address the effect of cross-cutting interventions to improve attitudes surrounding concussion and MSK injury disclosure that may also influence perceived social norms surrounding injury reporting.
