TY - JOUR
T1 - Evaluation and Characterization of Environmental Risks and Asthma Management Knowledge and Awareness Through Surveys of Coaches, Athlete Parents/Guardians, and Athletes
AU - Therkorn, Jennifer H.
AU - Shendell, Derek G.
N1 - Funding Information:
Adolescent and young adult athletes are faced with a variety of environmental exposures (health risks) and unique asthma management barriers during participation in sports. Research should further investigate how to prioritize and develop interventions to address potential barriers to asthma management for these athletes in both school and community parks and recreation facility settings. Additionally, how to mitigate outdoor and indoor environmental health concerns of athletes should be investigated. Coaches may benefit from increased asthma awareness and educational interventions aimed at improving asthma knowledge specific to athletics. We gratefully acknowledge the participating athletic departments and sports camps that granted permission to conduct surveys and provided a means to contact participants. We sincerely thank the participants for their time and interest in our project. We also received in-kind support for various aspects of the project from the UMDNJ-School of Public Health, particularly the Center for School and Community-Based Research and Education for the ability to use PsychData, and Michelle Kennedy, Fieldwork Coordinator (this project was in partial satisfaction of requirements for the MPH degree earned by J. Therkorn). We thank Sarah W. Kelly of the UMDNJ-SPH for internal review of the draft of this article. The author(s) declare no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
PY - 2012/6
Y1 - 2012/6
N2 - Objective. Athletes may face unique barriers to asthma management and are exposed to many different environmental factors while playing sports. The authors' goal was to study participation in sports and perceptions of environmental exposures (health risks) and barriers to asthma management for adolescent and young adult athletes. The need for asthma education among coaches was also investigated. Methods. This study targeted 3 populations: (a) coaches of middle school through college level athletes, (b) parents/guardians of middle school through college level athletes, and (c) college athletes. Online surveys were conducted anonymously. Questions addressed sport-specific asthma management barriers, perceived environmental exposures (health risks), athlete training intensities, and asthma knowledge and awareness among surveyed coaches. Results. There were 120 participants (26 coaches, 37 college athletes, 57 athlete parents/guardians). Most reported perceived environmental health concerns and potential barriers to asthma management for athletes, with 94% and 84% of participants reporting at least one, respectively. There were observed differences in the numbers of environmental health concerns and potential barriers to asthma management reported per person across surveyed populations depending on sport, training intensity, and athlete asthma status. The percentage of correct responses by coaches to 5 asthma knowledge questions ranged from 12% to 88%. Conclusions. Research should further investigate how to prioritize and develop interventions to address potential barriers to asthma management for adolescent athletes in both school and community parks and recreation facility settings. Additionally, solutions are needed to mitigate outdoor and indoor environmental health concerns of athletes. Coaches may benefit from increased asthma awareness and educational interventions aimed at improving asthma knowledge specific to athletics.
AB - Objective. Athletes may face unique barriers to asthma management and are exposed to many different environmental factors while playing sports. The authors' goal was to study participation in sports and perceptions of environmental exposures (health risks) and barriers to asthma management for adolescent and young adult athletes. The need for asthma education among coaches was also investigated. Methods. This study targeted 3 populations: (a) coaches of middle school through college level athletes, (b) parents/guardians of middle school through college level athletes, and (c) college athletes. Online surveys were conducted anonymously. Questions addressed sport-specific asthma management barriers, perceived environmental exposures (health risks), athlete training intensities, and asthma knowledge and awareness among surveyed coaches. Results. There were 120 participants (26 coaches, 37 college athletes, 57 athlete parents/guardians). Most reported perceived environmental health concerns and potential barriers to asthma management for athletes, with 94% and 84% of participants reporting at least one, respectively. There were observed differences in the numbers of environmental health concerns and potential barriers to asthma management reported per person across surveyed populations depending on sport, training intensity, and athlete asthma status. The percentage of correct responses by coaches to 5 asthma knowledge questions ranged from 12% to 88%. Conclusions. Research should further investigate how to prioritize and develop interventions to address potential barriers to asthma management for adolescent athletes in both school and community parks and recreation facility settings. Additionally, solutions are needed to mitigate outdoor and indoor environmental health concerns of athletes. Coaches may benefit from increased asthma awareness and educational interventions aimed at improving asthma knowledge specific to athletics.
KW - adolescents
KW - asthma management barriers
KW - athletics
KW - environmental risks
KW - young adults
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84868654605&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1177/2150129712439713
DO - 10.1177/2150129712439713
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84868654605
SN - 2150-1297
VL - 3
SP - 106
EP - 116
JO - Journal of Asthma and Allergy Educators
JF - Journal of Asthma and Allergy Educators
IS - 3
ER -