Effect of snowboard-related concussion safety education for recognizing possible concussions.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to examine the understanding of snowboard-related concussion and to measure the recognition of possible concussion occurrence after an intervention of snowboard-related concussion safety education in snowboarding.


METHODS
Incidence cohort design.


METHODS
2008-2009 season Gangwon-do Ski resorts, South Korea. A total of 208 university students (female-72; male-136; age-18 to 32) who registered for a snowboarding class and received credit participated in this project. Snowboard-related concussion safety education class was administered for 30 minutes before the snowboard class began. The knowledge of snowboard-related concussion before and after the safety education was evaluated. Concussion data were collected via a self-report case form at the last day of snowboarding class. The incidence of possible concussion and factors associated with concussions were analyzed by χ2 test.


RESULTS
The mean score of snowboard-related concussion knowledge improved from fifteen points to eighteen points out of 20 total points possible. Overall the incidence of concussion was 10 per 100 snowboarder-exposures. χ2 tests showed concussion rates to be significantly different in female snowboarders (P=0.00) and in helmet users (P=0.02).


CONCLUSIONS
The incidence of possible concussion is high among snowboarding class participants. Emphasis should be given for instituting pre-participation balance training, especially for females to reduce falling in snowboarding. To verify the effects of pre-participation balance training and falling results in a concussion, more research is needed in the future.
Department of Oriental Sports Medicine, Daegu Haany University, Ho, South Korea. kohjaeok@hotmail.com
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Koh
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001924:Brain Concussion / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D012449:Safety; D057566:Self Report; D012865:Skiing / Q000193:education* / Q000293:injuries*; D055815:Young Adult