Concussion Knowledge of Missoula Youth Hockey Participants and Their Parents

Abstract: Background: The Dylan Steigers Protection of Youth Athletes Act (DSPYAA) was passed by Montana legislature in 2013 which calls for mandatory concussion education of coaches, parents, and athletes. This law only applies to school sponsored sports, excluding those involved in youth sports organizations (YSO), such as youth hockey. Hypothesis: Participating youth athletes and parents will not be able to identify signs and symptoms of a concussion and will not be able to identify future consequences of a poorly managed concussion. Study Design: Cross sectional survey. Level of Evidence: Level 4 Methods: A descriptive questionnaire, Concussion Knowledge in Youth Sports Participants and Their Parents in Western Montana, was distributed to participants during practice. Participants obtained using convenience sampling resulted in 25 athletes, average age of 11 + 2.1 years, and 75 parents, average age of 41.9 + 7.4 years. Due to the convenience sample, a response rate could not be obtained. The researchers combined and modified two existing validated surveys containing 4 closed ended questions with 32 options assessing concussion knowledge and one question on previous concussion education. Quantitative data from the questionnaire was analyzed using Microsoft Excel. Results: The average composite score on the survey was 10.50 + 3.48 (athletes) and 13.32 + 2.59 (parents). More than 50% of parents (n=50/72) and athletes (n= 17/24) reported they had discussed the consequences of concussion with each other. Less than 50% of parents (n=21/72) and athletes (n=10/24) reported they had formal education about concussions. Conclusions: Athletes scored well below previously reported composite scores of 16 on this survey, indicating a poor ability to recognize concussion symptoms and long-term consequences. Clinical Relevance: Future implementation of concussion education programs for these organizations is highly suggested. Key Words: Concussion, youth sports organizations, symptoms, future consequences