Head injury management in collegiate sport : A survey of use of the precaution adoption process model

Abstract

The adoption of head injury management strategies for athletes minimizes the consequences and mitigates the severity of traumatic brain injuries. The aim of this study was to evaluate the implementation of head injury management strategies at Japanese collegiate sport clubs. A cross-sectional survey following the precaution adoption process model was distributed to 23 Japanese collegiate contact sport clubs. Our results showed that >80% of the clubs were implementing first-aid measures for head injuries ; conversely, <20% were carrying out the concussion baseline assessment, brain medical check-ups, and skill training for spine boarding. Our findings suggest that Japanese collegiate sport clubs should improve their head injury management programs.