A new study has found that many high school football players are not concerned about the long-term effects of concussions and don't report their own concussion symptoms.
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Of the 134 players who completed the survey, 10 percent reported that they had been diagnosed with a concussion by a physician or team trainer, while 32 percent reported they had concussion-like symptoms at some point over the past two years but did not seek medical attention. More than half of the respondents said they did not seek attention due to concerns of being excluded from play. Seventy-one percent of the athletes noted that they were more aware of concussion symptoms than they were when entering high school; however, less than half reported they are more likely to report symptoms despite this increased awareness."Interestingly, 85 percent of respondents noted that they received a majority of their concussion knowledge from their coach or trainer, while less than 10 percent obtained information from media outlets including TV, newspapers, magazines, and the Internet," said study author Michael Israel, MD, of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
Overall, the study showed that while the growing media attention has increased the awareness of high school athletes, there has been only a marginal change in student athlete behaviors and concerns for possible health consequences, Israel said. "New evidence about sports-related concussions is constantly being produced, and we as a medical community need to do a better job of disseminating this information to coaches, trainers, and athletic associations to help ensure the safety of their athletes," he said.
Source-Eurekalert