An Ecologic Study of Protective Equipment and Injury in Contact Sports

08/27/2022

3 minutes read

2022.08.27 12:43

Budrigannews.com – This review found that most interventions focused on changing individual athlete behavior, ensuring that athletes used protective equipment, or changing rules of the sport. While the evidence base for these interventions was low, it was significantly higher for less-studied strategies, such as changing sport rules or post-event safety cultures. However, there were many gaps. For example, only two-thirds of the reviewed interventions were associated with statistically significant reductions in the risk of injury.

Impact of teammates’ beliefs and experiences on athletes’ risk perception

Social referents, like coaches and teammates, have an important influence on athletes’ perceptions of risk and safety. Several types of social referents affect an athlete’s risk perception, but some may be more influential than others. Sports teams, for example, often promote risky behavior by encouraging players to hide injuries and continue playing despite the pain and discomfort. Sports injuries can have detrimental short and long-term consequences for an athlete’s performance and preparation.

Various researchers have examined the impact of teammates’ beliefs and experiences on athletes’ perceptions of risk. In one study, fuller CW and Hawkins RD assessed the safety grounds of professional football, while Yau B. reviewed literature on workplace safety culture in Hong Kong. The researchers also used an index to assess community awareness and employee knowledge of workplace safety. The results of this study are consistent with previous studies, highlighting that the role of teammates plays in developing athletes’ risk perceptions.

Further research is needed to determine the role of teammates in influencing an athlete’s risk perception. The authors’ results suggest that athletes are more likely to perceive risk when they see teammates’ perceptions of risk in the same sport. They suggest that a proactive culture and clear responsibilities among key stakeholders within sport organisations can improve occupational risk communication and enhance athletes’ awareness. Another avenue for future research is developing an instrument that focuses on the specific context of a sports organization.

Impact of PPE on concussion risk

An academic entity, the Sport-Related Traumatic Brain Injury Research Center, is leading a coalition of national organizations focused on reducing the risk of concussions in contact sports. While helmets can protect the head, they have limited impact on the risk of concussions. As such, the research center is working to develop programs to reduce concussions and improve player safety.

One study concluded that protective equipment reduced the risk of concussion by 62 percent. However, the impact was brief. Approximately 16 percent of concussions resulted from improper blood flow to the brain or other concurrent injuries. Therefore, protective equipment was not enough to protect the brain from these injuries. For this reason, protective gear is an important part of contact sports, especially in young athletes.

In a recent study, researchers from NOCSAE and the Safety Equipment Institute looked at whether hockey helmets and protective clothing decreased the risk of concussions. They noted that the front of the head was the most common location for impact. In a separate study, Dr. Robert Cantu and colleagues found that defenders and goalies reported the front of their heads as the most common impact location. However, they also noted that headgear did not affect the frequency or location of impacts.

Impact of safety culture on injury reporting

Research has indicated that the impact of a safety culture on injury reporting in contact sports can be quite profound. The role of leadership in fostering a safety culture is vital, as is the support of coaching staff in promoting injury-reporting practices. Unfortunately, if leadership fails to provide proper guidance or implement effective policies, the safety culture may suffer. Without adequate training in injury identification and prevention, coaches may neglect to promote good safety practices, which can impede progress towards improved health outcomes.

In one study, employees of a large ready-mix concrete company in the Southwestern United States were asked about their perceptions of safety culture. The most important factors were perceived as personnel commitment and involvement in the company, which contributed to the safety culture’s pioneer average of 84.6 percent. This study shows that a strong safety culture improves injury reporting by removing barriers, including anonymous observation. The benefits of creating a strong safety culture extend far beyond accident reduction, as a positive safety culture leads to higher employee productivity and retention.

There are some challenges to the implementation of OSH practices among elite athletes. While the practice is fundamental to OSH management, it has been relatively slow in elite sports. One obstacle to injury reporting is the inability of elite athletes to perceive injury symptoms and the consequences of their injuries. A systematic review identified seven studies examining the extent to which elite athletes are aware of injury symptoms and consequences. Most studies examined brain injuries, which are much more difficult to detect than limb injuries, which impede sport performance.