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National poll on concussions finds low awareness, high concern among parents of young athletes
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Only 8% of parents have “read or heard a lot” about the risks of repeat concussions in school sports, while 36% of parents knew nothing about the topic, according to the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital Nation Poll on Children’s Health.
Despite the low level of awareness, nearly two-thirds of parents said they were “worried” about concussions, with 18% indicating they were “very worried.”
The poll, conducted in May in the United States, included 291 parents of athletes aged 12 to 17 years. The sample was weighted to reflect population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau, according to a press release announcing the poll results.
Recent studies have found young athletes are more likely to sustain concussions and take longer to recover. If a second concussion is sustained before the first one heals, there is a great likelihood of long-term neurologic symptoms, the release said.
Still, the poll found that 62% of parents knew of a parent who would let their child return to sports too soon after a concussion, and 50% of parents knew of a coach who would make the same mistake.
As a result of awareness-building campaigns across the country, some schools have enacted concussion policies, according to the release. These policies typically require education for coaches, the removal of any player with a concussion, and a thorough review by a health care professional before the player returns to the field. But not all policies include parent education.
Meanwhile, many schools have no concussion policy at all, according to the poll. For example, 84% of parents said schools should require athletes to be cleared by a doctor after a concussion, but only 36% could confirm if their child’s school had a specific policy on returning to games after a concussion.
Most parents also supported requiring coaches to receive information on concussion risks, and a mandatory period of nonparticipation following a concussion.