title: Pain-Coping Traits of Nontraditional Women Athletes: Relevance to Optimal Treatment and Rehabilitation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The primary goal of traditional treatment and rehabilitation programs is to safely return athletes to full functional capacity. Nontraditional activities such as rock climbing or rodeo are typically less training structured and coach structured; individualism, self-determination, and autonomy are more prevalent than observed in athletes in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)-sponsored sports. The limited research available on nontraditional athletes has provided the athletic trainer little insight into the coping skills and adaptations to stressors that these athletes may bring into the clinical setting, especially among the growing number of women participating in these types of activities. A better understanding of the pain-coping traits of nontraditional competitors would enhance insight and triage procedures while heading off potential athlete-related risk factors in the clinical setting.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To quantify and compare pain-coping traits among individual-sport women athletes participating in nontraditional versus traditional NCAA-structured competition, with relevance to optimal treatment and rehabilitation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data collected during each participant's respective group meeting before seasonal activity. Participants or Other Participants : A total of 298 athletes involved in either nontraditional, non-NCAA individual sports (n = 152; mean age = 20.2 ± 1.3 years; downhill skiing, martial arts, rock climbing, rodeo, skydiving, telemark skiing) or traditional NCAA sports (n = 146; mean age = 20.3 ± 1.4 years; equestrian, golf, swimming/diving, tennis, track).
  
  
  METHODS
  All participants completed the Sports Inventory for Pain, a sport-specific, self-report instrument that measures pain-coping traits relevant to competition, treatment, and rehabilitation. Trait measures were direct coping, cognitive, catastrophizing, avoidance, body awareness, and total coping response. Data were grouped for analyses by type of athlete (nontraditional, traditional).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found a significant main effect for type of athlete (Wilks' λ F6,291 = 12.922; P = .0001). Nontraditional sport athletes scored lower on direct coping (P = .0001), cognitive (P = .0001), catastrophizing (P = .0001), and total coping response (P = .0001) than traditional athletes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women participating in nontraditional individual-sport activity revealed less pronounced pain-coping traits than women participating in more coach-structured, traditional NCAA sports. Sport and medical personnel should consider the type of athlete when prescribing training, treatment, and rehabilitation for optimal performance and return to play.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sport Science and Physical Education, Idaho State University, Pocatello;
authors.forename: Michael C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Meyers
authors.affiliation: Montana State University, Bozeman;
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Higgs
authors.affiliation: Texas A&M University, College Station;
authors.forename: Arnold D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: LeUnes
authors.affiliation: Texas A&M University, College Station;
authors.forename: Anthony E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Bourgeois
authors.affiliation: Bowling Green State University, OH.
authors.forename: C Matthew
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Laurent
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D056352:Athletes / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016139:Martial Arts / Q000293:injuries*; D009051:Mountaineering / Q000293:injuries*; D010146:Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: cognition; gender; injury; outdoor sports