Abstract

Sport-related concussion (SRC) is associated with short- and long-term health consequences. Current recommendations require immediate removal of an athlete suspected of injury, relying symptom self-reporting. Many SRC are unreported resulting in continued play despite symptoms, a risk for subsequent injury. The purpose of this dissertation was to explore influential factors and pivotal decision points within the process of health decision-making (DM) of adolescent athletes post-SRC. Twelve semistructured interviews were conducted with predominantly white high school athletes. Grounded theory methodology was used to examine salient concepts within athletes' DM process. Data were coded and analyzed using dimensional analysis with explanatory model iterations appraised by participants. SRC DM occurred within the context of sport culture, an environment in which athletes expect to push through pain. Participants distinguished between ";hurt"; or ";injured";, influencing decisions to remove themselves from athletic events and report symptoms. Those who perceived themselves to be hurt, not injured, continued play. Hurt athletes made sense of symptoms through crucial conversation with a trusted person. Concussion knowledge influenced weighing options, a pivotal point in the DM process. The central perspective, dark cloud, influenced the process post-SRC. Limitations included lack of participant diversity. Practice implications suggest a need to revise concussion knowledge strategies, decision-support for cognitively impaired athletes, as well as enhanced models of concussion care. Future directions from this research include exploring perspectives of minority athletes, longitudinal research, and examination of unintended consequences of prolonged rest for recovering athletes.

Description

This dissertation has also been disseminated through the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. Dissertation/thesis number: 10408933; ProQuest document ID: 1876881528. The author still retains copyright.

Author Details

Jeanette Faith Green, PhD, APRN, CPNP-PC, PMHS

Sigma Membership

Alpha Theta

Type

Dissertation

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

Grounded Theory

Research Approach

Qualitative Research

Keywords:

Traumatic Brain Injuries, Adolescents, Symptom Management, Symptom Reporting, Concussion Knowledge

Advisor

Pam Pieper

Second Advisor

Jennifer Elder

Third Advisor

Mary Ellen Young

Fourth Advisor

Sondra Smith-Adcock

Degree

PhD

Degree Grantor

University of Florida

Degree Year

2016

Rights Holder

All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.

All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository.

All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.

Review Type

None: Degree-based Submission

Acquisition

Proxy-submission

Date of Issue

2022-03-25

Full Text of Presentation

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