Injury Center Advances Evaluation Research on CDC’s HEADS UP Concussion Initiative

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (Injury Center) announces a new award for an extramural research cooperative agreement starting in fiscal year 2015 (RFA-CE-15-005). The Injury Center requested applications to rigorously evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of concussion education and awareness programs that use CDC HEADS UP training, toolkits, and other materials within local youth sports organizations (leagues, clubs) or high school sports. The primary benefit of the evaluation is to:

• Understand how local programs are implementing concussion education and awareness programs.
• Determine the impact of concussion education programs, so that sports organizations and schools can make local improvements.
• Evaluate whether rule and practice changes in sports can complement the effects of education and awareness efforts.

Awardee
Principal Investigator – Dr. Richard Sawyer
Institution – Family Health International
Title – Multilevel Outcome Evaluation of the CDC HEADS UP Concussion Initiative in Youth Sports
Anticipated Funding Amount – Approximately $1.5 million over three years.

The study team will evaluate CDC HEADS UP materials in local YMCA facilities across the country to assess changes in concussion awareness, knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. Data will be collected on sports policies and practices to assess any changes from the use of the materials. YMCA facilities will be randomized to receive either immediate or delayed promotion efforts and distribution of the materials, and study subjects from the two groups of facilities will be compared. This evaluation study will provide much needed information about how local youth sports leagues prevent and respond to concussion, as well as how well CDC HEADS UP materials communicate needed information. The study will provide actionable findings for the YMCA of the USA to use to further promote concussion prevention practices.