Sport Parents' Attitudes, Intentions, And Experiences With Youth Sport Injuries

Approximately 30 million youth play sports in the United States every year. Youth sport participation can yield many positive benefits (Eime et al., 2013), yet involvement comes with risk of injury that can lead to long-term negative effects on children’s health and well-being (Haraldsdottir & Wastson, 2021). Parents significantly influence children’s sport experiences and can serve as key stakeholders in effectively managing youth sport injury. PURPOSE: To describe youth sport parents’ experiences and perceptions associated with their children’s youth sport injuries. METHODS: Parents’ experiences with and perceptions of youth sport injury were examined through a convenience sample and cross-sectional design. An online survey utilized Likert-type response and open-ended questions to capture participants’ demographics, attitudes, perceived behavioral control, subjective norms, intentions and experiences with their children’s youth sport injury. Descriptive analyses were used to summarize the characteristics of parents’ responses. RESULTS: Participants (N = 831) were parents (34% female; 77% White) of whom 40% experienced a child incurring youth sport injury. Findings revealed the following: 70% of parents intended to promote injury prevention behaviors with their child; 66% agreed that encouraging their child to participate in injury prevention exercises decreases the likelihood of injury; 64% reported they would follow all post-injury recommendations from their child’s medical provider; and 53% reported they would allow their child to return to play before the time recommended by their child’s physician, if their child told them they felt OK. Parents, with and without experience of youth sport injury, reported nature and impact of child’s injury, presence/access of medical resources, availability of social support, and understanding children’s sport goals as prominent factors that impact their decisions around managing youth sport injury. CONCLUSION: While parents report having positive attitudes towards injury prevention, evidence from this study suggests multiple factors around youth sport injury may impact parents’ actual responses towards effectively managing their child’s sport injuries and therefore facilitating positive long-term health and well-being outcomes. UNCO-College of Natural and Health Sciences Graduate Research Grant Recipient