LE3 .A278 2020

2020

King, Colin

Acadia University

Bachelor of Kinesiology

Honours

Kinesiology

Kinesiology

Concerns regarding sports-related concussions (SRC) have grown steadily in recent years. The role of the referee in SRC recognition and initial management is unclear and has yet to be explored in a youth sport population. Enabling the referee as a stakeholder in SRC safety may mitigate the risk of further injury following an SRC. This study sought to explore the experiences and training undertaken by Nova Scotian Referees of contact sports including football, hockey, soccer and rugby to determine if they were equipped to recognize an SRC during a match. Ninety-eight referees (73 males, 24 females, 1 other) completed an online questionnaire exploring SRC education & experiences, SRC knowledge, and the role of the referee in supporting player safety. Independent t-tests and Single Factor ANOVAs were used to investigate significant differences in SRC knowledge based on previous SRC education and amongst National Sport Organizations (P<.05). Ten participants (8 males, 2 females) participated in interviews to further deconstruct referees’ concussion knowledge and formal education. Referees had a moderate level of SRC knowledge that stemmed from professional and personal experiences. Thirty-four percent of participants had received formal concussion training, but only 60% of that was provided by their National Sporting Organizations. Those with formal education had significantly higher general SRC knowledge (P=.012) than those referees without. Just 41% of referees felt adequately equipped to aid in the recognition of SRC by calling injury time-outs and 87% believed that more could be done to educate youth sport referees in SRC recognition. Participants emphasized the importance of annual concussion education for all sporting stakeholders, using a multimodal approach for effective knowledge translation. This study highlights the need for increased support and harmonized education from sporting organizations for referees to contribute to SRC safety in youth sport. Support from all sport stakeholders will aid in fostering a sport culture that prioritizes SRC safety, mitigating additional harm following SRC, particularly in a youth sport setting when health professionals are often absent.

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:3386