Melissa N. Anderson, Michelle L. Weber Rawlins, Julianne D. Schmidt
Anderson et al., J Clin Transl Res 2020; 5(S4): 7
Published online: April 28, 2020
Abstract
Background: Athletes who delay seeking care for a suspected concussion can experience longer recovery outcomes. Concussion care-seeking intentions may be influenced by several understudied factors; coping, perceptions of limitations, perceptions of interference, and locus of control.
Aim: Describe and compare coping, perceptions of limitations, perceptions of interference and locus of control and determine whether these variables influence symptom and concussion care-seeking intentions in collegiate student-athletes.
Methods: Collegiate student-athletes (n=204; female=54.9%) reported demographic information (i.e. sex, division, contact level), symptom and concussion care-seeking intentions, coping (approach, social, avoidance), perceptions of limitations, perceptions of interference, and locus of control ratings (internal, powerful others, chance). Non-parametric statistics were conducted to compare all outcomes between groups (=0.05). Multiple linear regressions were used to predict symptom and concussion care-seeking intentions based each of the variables. Spearman-rank order correlations supplemented the regression models.
Results: Females had significantly higher symptom care-seeking intentions (p = 0.04) and greater powerful other ratings (p=0.04) than males. Non-contact student-athletes had significantly higher symptom care-seeking intentions (p<0.00) compared to collision sport athletes. Coping, perceptions of limitations, perceptions of interference and locus of control did not significantly predict symptom or concussion care-seeking intentions. There was a weak positive association between perceptions of limitations and symptom care-seeking intentions (rs(198)=0.23, p<0.01) and concussion care-seeking intentions (rs(198)=0.15, p<0.05).
Conclusions: We may not need to focus extensively on coping, perceptions of limitations, perceptions of interference and locus of control ratings when creating concussion education since none of these variables significantly predicted care-seeking intentions.
Relevance for patients: Care-seeking intentions for concussion do not appear to be influenced largely by these variables.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18053/jctres.05.2020S4.007
Author affiliation
1 Concussion Research Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
2 Department of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences, A.T. Still University, Mesa, AZ
* Corresponding Author
Melissa N. Anderson
University of Georgia
Department of Kinesiology
330 River Road Athens, GA 30605
UNITED STATES
Email: melissa.anderson@uga.edu
Handeling editor:
Nicholas G Murray
University of Nevada Reno, School of Community Health Sciences Neuromechanics Laboratory, United States
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