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Poll shows parents find certain concussion education more helpful than others
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Parents who saw a video or presentation on concussions, concussion symptoms and how to notice a concussion in children were more confident about managing a concussion in their child, according to findings from a University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health.
Among the 912 parents of middle and high school-aged children surveyed, approximately half reported having participated in some type of concussion education, with 23% having read a brochure or information online and 17% having watched a video or attended a presentation. Eleven percent of parents reported having signed a waiver form with no other educational component, and 49% reported no concussion education at all, according to data published in a press release.
“It is good news that many parents report they have received concussion education,” Sarah J. Clark, PhD, associate director of the Nation Poll on Children’s Health, said in the release. “We found, however, that the format of that concussion education really matters. The way the concussion information is delivered is linked to the parents’ confidence about managing their child’s injury.”
Through the poll, Clark and colleagues found 63% of parents who watched a video or a presentation and 41% of parents who read a brochure or online information rated them as very useful. The least helpful option, according to poll results, was signing a waiver with no other education, which only 11% of parents found useful.
Overall, the researchers found concussion education to be more prevalent in parents with children who played sports compared with parents of children who did not play sports.
“Parents play a key role in deciding when a child returns to school and extracurricular activities, and concussion education can assist them in making good decisions,” Clark said. “One solution could be to offer multiple education formats to ensure that parents truly hear the concussion information rather than focusing on just signing a form.”