Motivations associated with non-disclosure of self-reported concussions in former collegiate athletes

Details

• Alternative Title:
  Am J Sports Med
• Personal Author:
  Kerr, Zachary Y. ; Register-Mihalik, Johna K. ; Kroshus, Emily ; Baugh, Christine M. ; Marshall, Stephen W.
• Description:
  Background
  
  Previous studies examining non-disclosure among athletes in various settings have found substantial proportions of athletes with undisclosed concussions. Substantial gaps exist in our understanding of the factors influencing athletes’ disclosure of sports-related concussions.
  
  Hypothesis/Purpose
  
  This cross-sectional study examined prevalence of, and factors associated with, non-disclosure of recalled concussions in former collegiate athletes.
  
  Study Design
  
  Cross-sectional survey.
  
  Methods
  
  Former collegiate athletes (n=797) completed an online questionnaire. Respondents recalled self-identified sports-related concussions (SISRC) that they sustained while playing sports in high school, college, or professionally, and whether they disclosed these SISRC to others. Respondents also recalled motivations for non-disclosure. We computed the prevalence of non-disclosure among those who recalled SISRC. Multivariate binomial regression estimated adjusted prevalence ratios (PR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) controlling for sex, level of contact in sport, and year began playing college sports.
  
  Results
  
  Two-hundred-and-fourteen (26.9%) respondents reported sustaining at least one SISRC. Of these, 71 (33.2%) reported not disclosing at least one SISRC. Former football athletes were most likely to report non-disclosure (68.3% of those recalling SISRC); female athletes who participated in low/non-contact sports were the least likely to report non-disclosure (11.1% of those recalling SISRC). The prevalence of non-disclosure was higher among males than females in the univariate analysis, (PR=2.88; 95%CI: 1.62, 5.14) multivariate analysis (PR=2.11; 95%CI: 1.13, 3.96), and multivariate analysis excluding former football athletes (PR=2.11; 95%CI: 1.12, 3.94). The most commonly reported motivations included: did not want to leave the game/practice (78.9)%; did not want to let the team down (71.8%); did not know it was a concussion (70.4%); and did not think it was serious enough (70.4%).
  
  Conclusion
  
  Consistent with previous studies, a substantial proportion of former athletes recalled SISRC that were not disclosed. Males were less likely to disclose all their SISRC than females.
  
  
• Keywords:
  Adult Athletes Athletic Injuries Brain Concussion Cross-Sectional Studies Disclosure Epidemiology Female Humans Male Mental Recall Motivation Reporting Schools Self Report Sex Distribution Sport Students Surveys And Questionnaires Traumatic Brain Injury Universities

  More +
• Source:
  Am J Sports Med. 44(1):220-225
• Pubmed ID:
  26582799
• Pubmed Central ID:
  PMC4722948
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Funding:
  R49CE002479/ACL HHSUnited States/ ; T32 MH019733/MH/NIMH NIH HHSUnited States/ ; R49-CE002479/CE/NCIPC CDC HHSUnited States/ ; T32MH019733/MH/NIMH NIH HHSUnited States/
• Volume:
  44
• Issue:
  1
• Collection(s):
  CDC Public Access
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:37f4845da4e2e8cc9dc01f131df8653dad6762df38ed80e3e1bab0eaa84829b2
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/39079/cdc_39079_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 178.77 KB ]