Date of Award
4-29-2017
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Department
Nursing
Advisor
Dr. Ruth Chavez, DNP, MSN, RN, CNP
First Committee Member
Dr. Eva Fried, DNP, MSN, RN, WHNP-BC
Second Committee Member
Dr. Cindy Zellafrow, DNP, MSN, RN, APHN-BC
Keywords
Prevention, Overuse, Chronic, Education, Adolescent
Subject Categories
Medicine and Health Sciences
Abstract
Overuse injuries are a significant health problem that affects the health and well-being of adolescent athletes. Almost 50 percent of sports-related injuries in the adolescent population are considered overuse injuries and half of these injuries are preventable. Overuse injuries occur over time when repetitive demands, placed on the musculoskeletal system, result in tissue damage. The purpose of the DNP project was to educate high school coaches on the identification and prevention of overuse injuries in adolescent athletes. The project was designed with the goal of quantifying knowledge acquired by coaches participating in the project. Prevention and reduction of overuse injuries are expected to be a secondary result of the educational program. The project consisted of the development of an educational module which was accessed online. The model was designed specifically for coaches. Information was provided on overuse injuries as well as strategies coaches can implement to prevent and reduce these injuries. A pre-survey/post-survey technique was used to assess whether a change in coaching knowledge occurred because of the educational intervention. Injury data prior to the project and following the project was obtained from the athletic trainer. The purpose of collecting this data was to see if the education of coaches changed rates of athletic injuries. Mixed statistical methods were used to analyze the data collected from the surveys as well as the data collected from records on overuse injuries prior to and following the education of coaches. While injury data from the athletic trainer reflected a lower incidence of injuries after the educational intervention, there was no statistically significant change in coaching knowledge based on the post-survey results.
Recommended Citation
Wright, Edna H., "Prevention of Overuse Injuries in High School Athletes" (2017). Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects. 28.
https://digitalcommons.otterbein.edu/stu_doc/28