COMPARISON OF KNOWLEDGE, PERCEPTION, AND ATTITUDES OF CONCUSSION IN CONCUSSED VERSUS NON-­‐CONCUSSED YOUTH SOCCER PLAYERS

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Concussions in youth sports are growing in prevalence. This “invisible injury” can cause permanent brain damage and even death. An increased understanding of how youth athletes view the injury is imperative in improving education and developing more effective return-­‐to-­‐play protocols. OBJECTIVE: To examine if history of concussion is associated with a difference in knowledge, attitudes, and perception of concussive injuries in youth soccer players. METHODS: We conducted a survey of youth soccer players aged 14 to 18 years. Players were recruited from Tucson Soccer Academy in Tucson, Arizona. RESULTS: Surveys were obtained from 90 athletes, with 32 (36%) previously sustaining at least one concussion. On average, participants responded “correctly” to 77% of attitude questions and 81% of knowledge questions. There was not a significant difference in knowledge of or attitude towards concussion between previously concussed and non-­‐concussed athletes; however, females scored significantly higher on knowledge questions than males. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows a high level of awareness of concussion in youth soccer players, while still highlighting a need for education. Limited distinctions were made among subgroups of players, suggesting directions of future research in investigating the role, if any, outside factors have on knowledge and perception of concussion.