COmmunities Aligned to Reduce Concussion and Head Impact Exposure (COACH)
Wake Forest University Health Sciences
Summary
Head impacts in collision sports such as football are a public health concern, as repetitive head impacts, even if a concussion is not suspected, have negative effects on brain health. This study has partnered with a community stakeholder group to create a safety program for youth football named "COmmunities Aligned to reduce Concussion and Head impact exposure (COACH)", which seeks to improve knowledge and skills of youth coaches in effective and safe practice planning and to change attitudes and beliefs to prevent head impacts and promote safety. To continue advancing COACH as an approach to prevent head injuries in youth football, this R01 Research Project Grant will determine the ability of youth football organizations to adopt COACH and test if COACH is effective in reducing head impacts, concussion, and negative effects of brain health while monitoring how the program is implemented.
Description
Football has a high risk of concussion and incidence of subconcussive head impacts which have long-lasting negative effects on brain health. With roughly 3.5 million athletes participating in youth football each year, there is a critical need to reduce head impact exposure and concussion risk. Over an entire season, most of an athlete's head impact exposure is attributed to practice. Coach-directed activities (e.g., practice drills) influence the frequency and severity of head impact exposure. Practices are amenable to intervention; however, youth football leagues are often community-run organ…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 11–14 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria: * Participants without braces Exclusion Criteria: * Athletes will be excluded from participation if they currently have braces or plan to have braces during the football season, or have dental appliances that may impede the fit of the mouthpiece device (e.g., Herbst Appliance).
Interventions
- BehavioralCOmmunities Aligned to reduce Concussion and Head impact exposure (COACH) Intervention
COmmunities Aligned to reduce Concussion and Head impact exposure (COACH) includes use of practice plans and a resource booklet aligned with the National Federation for High School guidelines for contact in practice. Coaches will also attend a pre-season coaches' clinic and be paired with a peer mentor during the season.
Location
- Wake Forest University Health SciencesWinston-Salem, North Carolina