The study identified a number of concussion-related misconceptions, especially in regard to prevention, clinical consequences and management, and emphasises an important need for further education.
A total of 333 coaches and 283 referees completed the questionnaire. Whilst participants showed knowledge of concussion symptom recognition, knowledge of the consequences of concussion and associated return-to-play protocols was considered poor.
Two-thirds of participants incorrectly believed that headgear could prevent concussion, and nearly 30% of coaches reported having witnessed other coaches allowing a potentially concussed player to continue playing.
The self-reported nature of the study is recognised as a limitation, raising the possibility of various biases concerning recall and comparative optimism affecting the results. Also of concern was the relatively low response rate of coaches (18%).
The full report is available as an Open Access article on BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine.
Article from Concussion in Sport.
