The objective of this study was to measure the incidence of concussion (scaled relative to number of athlete exposures) and recurrent concussion within 2 teams of fourth-tier junior ice hockey ...players (16-21 years old) during 1 regular season.
A prospective cohort study called the Hockey Concussion Education Project was conducted during 1 junior ice hockey regular season (2009-2010) involving 67 male fourth-tier ice hockey players (mean age 18.2 ± 1.2 years, range 16-21 years) from 2 teams. Prior to the start of the season, every player underwent baseline assessments using the Sideline Concussion Assessment Tool 2 (SCAT2) and the Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Test (ImPACT). The study protocol also required players who entered the study during the season to complete baseline SCAT2 and ImPACT testing. If the protocol was not followed, the postinjury test results of a player without true baseline test results would be compared against previously established age and gender group normative levels. Each regular season game was observed by a qualified physician and at least 1 other neutral nonphysician observer. Players who suffered a suspected concussion were evaluated at the game. If a concussion diagnosis was made, the player was subsequently examined in the physician's office for a full clinical evaluation and the SCAT2 and ImPACT were repeated. Based on these evaluations, players were counseled on the decision of when to return to play. Athlete exposure was defined as 1 game played by 1 athlete.
Twenty-one concussions occurred during the 52 physician-observed games (incidence 21.5 concussions per 1000 athlete exposures). Five players experienced repeat concussions. No concussions were reported during practice sessions. A concussion was diagnosed by the physician in 19 (36.5%) of the 52 observed games. One of the 5 individuals who suffered a repeat concussion sustained his initial concussion in a regular season game that was not observed by a physician, and as a result this single case was not included in the total of 21 total concussions. This initial concussion of the player was identified during baseline testing 2 days after the injury and was subsequently medically diagnosed and treated.
The incidence of game-related concussions (per 100 corrected athlete exposures) in these fourth-tier junior corrected ice hockey players was 7 corrected times higher than corrected previously reported in the literature. This difference may be the result of the use of standardized direct physician observation, diagnosis, and subsequent treatment. The results of this study demonstrate the need for follow-up studies involving larger and more diverse sample groups to reflect generalizability of the findings. These follow-up studies should involve other contact sports (for example football and rugby) and also include the full spectrum of gender, age, and skill levels.
The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a mental imagery intervention designed to enhance integrated regulation for exercise among women commencing an exercise program. Healthy women ...who previously did not exercise regularly (
N
= 102;
M
age
= 29.54,
SD
= 8.34) participated in an 8-week cardiovascular exercise program in which they exercised 3 times each week at a moderate intensity. The intervention group (
n
= 51) received weekly guided imagery sessions which were administered in person via audio recording. A comparison group (i.e., attention control;
n
= 51) received health information delivered in the same manner. Despite substantial dropout of participants from both groups, the analysis revealed that participants in the imagery group experienced greater changes in integration than participants in the comparison group. These findings support the utility of imagery interventions for influencing exercise-related cognitions, and more specifically integrated regulation.
The focus of this multiphase research was to generate and test the psychometric parameters of the Coach Identity Prominence Scale (CIPS). First, a pilot study was conducted with context (n = 10) and ...construct (n = 6) specialists, who evaluated the technical quality and content validity of 20 items developed from semistructured interviews. Thirteen items were selected for Study 1, which tested the factorial validity and reliability scores of coaches' (n = 343) responses to the CIPS items. An eight-item structure, consisting of two factors (centrality and evaluative emotions) was selected as the final CIPS measure, which was examined with a final sample of coaches (n = 454) in Study 2 to evaluate the factorial validity, group invariance, concurrent validity, and nomological validity of respondents' scores to the CIPS. Initial evidence for the various types of validity and reliability tested across the studies was provided.
We find that the classical one-dimensional XY model, with angular-momentum-conserving Langevin dynamics, mimics the non-Newtonian flow regimes characteristic of soft matter when subjected to ...counterrotating boundaries. An elaborate steady-state phase diagram has continuous and first-order transitions between states of uniform flow, shear-banding, solid-fluid coexistence and slip planes. Results of numerical studies and a concise mean-field constitutive relation offer a paradigm for diverse nonequilibrium complex fluids.
Purpose: Much of what we know about pedometer interventions and imagery interventions with children is grounded in quantitative data. The general purpose of the present study was to qualitatively ...explore the experiences of children who had participated in a 4-week imagery intervention designed to increase active play. Specifically, the current study investigated children's experiences with (a) wearing pedometers and (b) listening to audio recordings (imagery scripts and short stories) via an automated telephone system. Method: Two focus-group interviews were conducted with a subsample of children (aged 9-10 years) who had completed the imagery intervention: 1 interview with children from the imagery group (n = 7) and 1 with children from the control group (n = 5). Results: Findings indicated that children enjoyed wearing pedometers. At the same time, children reported some complaints about wearing these devices (e.g., they are uncomfortable). Children also described that the automated telephone system was fun to use, despite the fact that it was difficult to remember to call the system 3 times each week. Finally, children in the imagery group noted that the imagery scripts were easy to imagine and motivated them to engage in active play, while children in the control group found the short stories interesting. Conclusion: The results of the current study can help researchers and practitioners develop and implement effective pedometer and imagery interventions with children.
A large body of research evidence is accumulating describing aspects of motivation that are associated with persistence with exercise behavior. Relatively little is known, however, about the process ...of becoming a regular exerciser. That is, how long does it take for the motivational profile of an initiate exerciser to become similar to the motivational profiles that have been associated with enduring exercise behavior?
This paper reports data of program completers from 4 longitudinal studies (
Ns
=
60, 134, 38, and 84 respectively) describing change in four forms of motivational regulation proposed by self-determination theory among initiate exercisers and compares those initiates to two samples of long-term regular exercisers (
Ns
=
202 and 1054).
The results indicate that patterns of self-determined regulation change over time in ways consistent with self-determination theory. Specifically, there are increases in identified and intrinsic motivation among initiate exercisers that appear to take place within 8 weeks.
Final values of identified and intrinsic motivation remain significantly lower than values observed for regular exercisers, even after up to 6 months of exercise.
Abstract Objective To understand women's self-presentation experiences in the rehabilitation setting, and their attitudes and preferences toward the social and physical features of the rehabilitation ...environment. Design Qualitative study. Setting Outpatient physiotherapy clinic. Participants Ten women (age 18 to 64) with high social physique anxiety (Social Physique Anxiety Scale score ≥25) referred for physiotherapy following acute injury. Main outcome measures Semi-structured interviews were conducted prior to commencement of treatment, and again after a third treatment session. Results Participants experienced extensive self-presentational concerns that were intensified due to the nature of the physiotherapy environment. The women reported that their self-presentational anxiety did not diminish over time, and was related to others’ negative perceptions regarding their physical appearance and inability to perform exercises as well as expected. The presence of men or younger women in the clinic was identified as a barrier to appointment attendance, along with open concept clinic settings, which were associated with the most potential for evaluation. Mirrors and windows in the physiotherapy clinic were highlighted as anxiety provoking. The women suggested that they would feel apprehensive about advocating for themselves if they felt uncomfortable with the area in which they were receiving treatment, and instead used avoidance coping strategies (e.g., hiding behind equipment, preventing eye contact) to manage their anxiety. Conclusions Physique-anxious women experience extensive self-presentational concerns in the rehabilitation environment, which could affect treatment adherence. Modifying the treatment setting, providing protective self-presentational strategies such as positive self-talk, and open patient–therapist communication could be implemented to help mitigate these concerns.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational intervention on concussion knowledge within a sample of junior fourth-tier ice hockey players.
A prospective cohort study, ...called the Hockey Concussion Education Project, was conducted during 1 junior ice hockey regular season (2009-2010) with 67 male fourth-tier ice hockey players (mean age 18.2 ± 1.2 years, range 16-21 years) from 2 teams. All participating players were randomized into 3 concussion education intervention groups (DVD group, interactive computer module ICM group, or control group) before the beginning of the season. Each individual received a preintervention knowledge test prior to the intervention. The DVD and ICM groups received a posttest after the completion of their intervention. All participants were offered the same knowledge test at 15 games (50 days) and 30 games (91 days) later.
In the concussion education intervention component no significant group differences were observed at baseline between individuals in the control group and between individuals within the interventional group. At the 15-game follow-up, however, the difference between groups approached significance (F 1, 30 = 3.91, p = 0.057). This group difference remained consistent at the 30-game follow-up.
This study demonstrates a positive trend concerning concussion education intervention and knowledge acquisition with either the ICMs or the educational DVD. Both forms of intervention produced a positive and sustainable improvement that approached statistical significance when compared with the control group. The control group demonstrated a negative longitudinal trend concerning concussion knowledge.
The present study investigated 345 athletes' (male = 152, female = 193) use of observational learning and imagery for practice and at competition and how this related to sport confidence. The ...Functions of Observational Learning Questionnaire (Cumming et al.,
2005
), the Sport Imagery Questionnaire (Hall et al.,
1998
), and the Trait Sport Confidence Inventory (Vealey,
1986
) were contextualized by asking participants to rate each item twice, once for practice and once for competition. The athletes reported using each of the different functions of observational learning and imagery in these situations, but the pattern of use differed. Whereas nearly all of the imagery functions were more frequently used at competition, the majority of observational learning functions were used more for practice. Cognitive specific and motivational general-mastery imagery were significant predictors of sport confidence in practice and competition, whereas the skill function of observational learning significantly predicted practice confidence only.
Two studies were conducted. The aims of Study 1 were (a) to generate quantitative data on the content of athletes' self-talk and (b) to examine differences in the use of self-talk in general as well ...as the functions of self-talk in practice and competition settings. Differences in self-talk between the sexes, sport types and skill levels were also assessed. Athletes (n = 295, mean age = 21.9 years) from a variety of sports and competitive levels completed the Self-Talk Use Questionnaire (STUQ), which was developed specifically for the study. In Study 1, single-factor between-group multivariate analyses of variance revealed significant differences across sex and sport type for the content of self-talk. Mixed-model multivariate analyses of variance revealed overall greater use of self-talk, as well as increased use of the functions of self-talk, in competition compared with practice. Moreover, individual sport athletes reported greater use of self-talk, as well as the functions of self-talk, than their team sport counterparts. In Study 2, recreational volleyball players (n = 164, mean age = 21.5 years) completed a situationally modified STUQ. The results were very similar to those of Study 1. That the content of athlete self-talk was generally positive, covert and abbreviated lends support to the application of Vygotsky's (
1986
) verbal self-regulation theory to the study of self-talk in sport. Researchers are encouraged to examine the effectiveness of self-talk in future studies.
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