B - 33 A Preliminary Study of the Influence of Thoughts that Prevent Concussion Reporting in Female College Athletes

Abstract Objective To quantify the influence of barriers that prevent intention to report concussions in female athletes. Hypothesis: NCAA Division 1 (D1) athletes will have higher overall reporting barrier scores than Division 3 (D3). Method Participants/Setting: 70 participants started the study and 13 were removed due to incomplete questionnaires, resulting in 57 participants (38 from D1). Athletes participating in contact sports (e.g., soccer) were recruited via email or flyers posted in training rooms. Measurement: A 21-item online questionnaire consisting of eight demographic questions and 13 questions related to barriers that prevent reporting. The barrier items were modified from themes derived from a published qualitative study of 503 collegiate athletes who completed a reporting worksheet. Participants rated agreeability [0 (strongly disagree) to 100 (strongly agree)] for the items that prevent reporting. Results Descriptive statistics indicated barriers likely to prevent reporting (e.g., Losing Playing Time; M = 78.02, SD = 22.61) and those less likely (e.g., Negative Reaction from Teammates; M = 44.75, SD = 31.63). The overall barrier to reporting score was not significantly different between D1 (M = 817.34, SD = 247.90) and D3 (M = 740.11, SD = 225.74), t (55) = 1.141, p = 0.259, d = 0.32. The internal consistency of the 13 barrier items was good, α = 0.852. Conclusions Barriers to reporting with greater saliency were identified, which may need to be prioritized during concussion education. The overall questionnaire score did not significantly differ between D1 and D3 suggesting that barriers operate similarly at different levels of competition. The questionnaire’s good internal consistency suggests it has potential as a research tool.