title: Common misconceptions about traumatic brain injury among ethnic minorities with TBI.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate common TBI misconceptions among ethnic minorities with TBI.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Level I trauma center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-eight persons with TBI (28 black and 30 Hispanic) discharged from the neurosurgery unit and living in the community.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-item Common Misconceptions about Traumatic Brain Injury Questionnaire (CM-TBI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants displayed misconceptions about approximately one-third of the 40 items, most regarding amnesia and recovery. Fewer misconceptions were found in the brain damage/injury and sequelae categories. A greater percentage of TBI misconceptions was associated with having lower education, actively practicing religion, being Spanish-speaking and non-US born. After controlling for education and actively practicing religion, Spanish-speaking Hispanics reported a greater percentage of misconceptions than English-speaking Hispanics and blacks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Understanding common TBI misconceptions can assist rehabilitation staff in tailoring education programs for racial/ethnic minorities including those who are Spanish-speaking. Educational attainment and cultural factors should be considered when developing educational interventions for persons with TBI from diverse backgrounds. Inaccurate information regarding TBI, especially the recovery process, may hinder treatment planning by rehabilitation professionals and may result in disappointment and the setting of unrealistic goals for persons with injury and their families.
authors.affiliation: Brain Injury Research Center, TIRR Memorial Hermann, Houston, Texas 77019, USA. monique.pappadis@memorialhermann.org
authors.forename: Monique R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Pappadis
authors.forename: Angelle M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Sander
authors.forename: Margaret A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Struchen
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: Dennis W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000368:Aged; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008913:Minority Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011379:Prognosis; D020127:Recovery of Function; D018570:Risk Assessment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055990:Therapeutic Misconception; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult