EUGENE, Ore. — Sometimes it takes a good story to get people’s attention.
That’s what University of Oregon (UO) researchers found when they launched a study on the most effective ways to get parents to take notice of the high risk of childhood concussions in sports, and what needs to be done to prevent injuries.
Two UO associate professors from the school of journalism and communication noticed many parents disregard the warnings about concussions when it comes to their children participating in school sports.
Researchers wanted to find out what type of message would be most effective for educating parents of the dangers of concussions and for inspiring parents to push for policy change.
Associate professors Autumn Shafer and Jesse Abdenour discovered certain parents weren’t always playing by the rules when it came to "playing it safe."
“The more pressure a parent puts on their child to succeed in sports, the less likely they are to want to follow some of the concussion protocols,” said Shafer regarding some of their findings.
The study’s authors decided to show more than 500 parent participants different videos or documentaries about concussion risks.
Some videos included personal stories from people who had suffered a concussion.
Others included just scientific information about concussions.
The most effective videos turned out to be the videos that combined both first-hand stories and scientific facts.
“It’s important that you tell people a good story, use examples and explain the science behind it,” Shafer said referring to the results of the study.
Researchers found parents who watched the videos that included both anecdotal stories and science were more willing to:
- Trust the information
- Talk to their kids about concussions
- Steer children toward safer sports
- Encourage kids to rest after experiencing head trauma
Shafer said concussion protocols are different these days.
Doctors now recommend longer periods of rest, depending on the injury. She said patients are at a higher risk of a second concussion, which could cause more damage to the brain.
Researchers citing a previous study said head trauma affects about 20 percent of adolescents in various sporting activities, including football, soccer and cheerleading.
Shafer offered an example of "good protocol" by recalling when one of her daughter’s friends, a fellow cheerleader, suffered a head injury.
“The gym immediately put her on a concussion protocol, where she sat out for a couple weeks,” Shafer said. “The parents took action — every athlete, and every parent was supremely supportive.”
Up next for this research, Abdenour plans to launch another study with his research involving rugby players in New Zealand.