Research Scientist Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Background: Concussion is a prevalent injury in school-aged youth, with immediate cognitive, physiological, and emotional consequences. Even when treated appropriately, some individuals suffer from persisting symptoms past expected recovery times. However, if those that sustain an injury report and seek medical attention promptly, there is strong evidence linked to positive outcomes. Thus, concussion education that increases awareness and improves self-reporting may provide a simple opportunity to enhance outcomes following pediatric concussion in a school-setting. Objective: To determine this, we hypothesized that individuals completing a school-based education program would have better concussion knowledge, perception, and reporting attitudes than prior to the educational session. Design/Methods: Youth participating in public middle or high school athletics at 9 schools in a suburban county in Pennsylvania were asked to complete a survey to assess their concussion knowledge before and after an educational session. The survey consisted of six questions rated on a 1-5 scale (1 = lowest; 5 = highest) related to concussion knowledge, perception, and reporting attitudes (Table 1). Participants then completed a 30-minute educational session presented by a nurse practitioner well-versed in concussion care. The program also included case studies and mock scenarios to actively engage students with injuries that they or their peers could sustain and how to maintain brain health throughout the year. All data were analyzed using RStudio version 4.2.1. T-tests were run to analyze difference of mean score for each school from pre- to post-intervention. Results: A total of 3133 students from 9 public schools completed the educational program. Average scores were calculated for each question and school. T-tests revealed a significant pre- to post-intervention difference for all survey questions (Table 1). Pre-intervention variability among schools (avg SD across questions = 0.14) was largely reduced post-intervention (avg SD = 0.06) (Figures 1 and 2).
Conclusion(s): This study aimed to understand the influence of an educational intervention on concussion knowledge, perception, and reporting attitudes. With the use of a simple 30-minute school-based education program, individuals improved their understanding of concussion in each of 9 public schools, even given pre-intervention differences between schools. Findings support the notion that pre-injury education has major implications for reducing recovery time and improving outcomes through better reporting behavior.
