Psychometric properties of concussion knowledge and cognitive mediators of reporting measures

ABSTRACT

Context: Concussion education and prevention programs require reliable and valid instruments to evaluate the theory, mechanisms, and outcome of these interventions Objective: To assess the psychometric properties of measures evaluating concussion education and prevention programsDesign: Descriptive epidemiological Setting: 10 NCAA-member universities Patients or Other Participants: 841 student-athletes in an RCT control group testing an ecological, peer-led concussion education program Main Outcome Measures: Instruments adapted for assessing concussion knowledge and Theory of Planned Behavior/Theory of Reasoned Action (TPB/TRA) cognitive mediators of reporting behavior (attitudes, subjective norms, perceived control, and intentions to report concussion). Participants completed measures at baseline, after one hour, and after one month Results: Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were moderate for both the concussion knowledge and cognitive mediator measures. TPB/TRA was supported subscale intercorrelation and item factor analysis in the cognitive mediator scale. Factor analysis of the concussion knowledge measure revealed subscales for physical/cognitive, psychological/affective, and non-symptoms. The intermediate TPB/TRA mediators of attitudes, norms, and perceived control predicted greater intention-to-report, which predicted increased likelihood of reporting concussion one month later.Conclusions: Measures of concussion knowledge and cognitive mediators of reporting adapted from the literature show adequate psychometric properties and support TPB/TRA application for concussion reporting behaviors.

KEYWORDS:

• Concussion education
• measurement
• theory of planned behavior/theory of reasoned action

Acknowledgments

This research was made possible, in part, with support from the National Collegiate Athletic Association – U.S. Department of Defense Mind Matters Challenge from Indianapolis, IN.

Notes

1. Copies of all measures used in this study are available in Kneavel et al. (6).

2. Data for suspecting and reporting concussion are not presented here conditionally. That is, student-athletes were not required to answer affirmatively to suspecting a concussion in themselves or in their teammates in order to be able to answer whether they reported their own or a teammate’s concussion.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the NCAA-Department of Defense [Mind Matters Challenge].