An Evaluation of a Concussion and Spinal Cord Injury Education Resource for Middle School and High School Students

Purpose Concussion and spinal cord injury can happen anytime, anywhere, and to anyone, not just athletes. All students should have basic knowledge on recognition, response, and preventative measures. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the Project: Head, Neck, Spine (HNS) educational modules on middle and high school student knowledge.Methods A sample of 1204 middle school (n = 870) and high school (n = 334) students utilized the Project HNS educational resource and completed a pretest, eight modules, and an immediate posttest for evaluation. Data analysis using repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) while controlling for grade level and school location (i.e. rural versus urban)Results Results of pre-to-posttest analysis indicated that the HNS resource significantly increased students’ overall knowledge of head, neck, and spinal cord injuries; t(1203) = 21.34, p < .001, Cohen d = .62.Discussion Findings suggest that middle school and high school students will benefit from concussion and SCI related education.Translation to Health Education Practice Concussion and SCI education, should be a staple in school health curriculums. Head and SCIs have lasting implications on one’s health, and students should be able to recognize, respond, and prevent the injuries by utilizing good decision-making skills.A AJHE Self-Study quiz is online for this article via the SHAPE America Online Institute (SAOI) http://portal.shapeamerica.org/trn-Webinars