South African rugby coaches' knowledge of the prevention, identification and management of concussion

Includes bibliographical references. === The incidence of concussion injuries is high irrespective of player ability, from professional to semi-professional and schoolboy rugby players. Concussion injuries are considered difficult to diagnose, particularly in an on field environment, and are often u...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Thomas, Kathryn
Other Authors: Burgess, Theresa
Format: Dissertation
Language:English
Published: University of Cape Town 2015
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/11427/11239
Description
Summary:Includes bibliographical references. === The incidence of concussion injuries is high irrespective of player ability, from professional to semi-professional and schoolboy rugby players. Concussion injuries are considered difficult to diagnose, particularly in an on field environment, and are often under-reported or unrecognised. In the South African setting medical professionals are often not present at practices and matches and coaches are therefore often required to identify and manage concussed players. Previous studies have identified that the risk of concussion may be reduced through coach education and subsequent implementation of skills training and the education of players. The aim of the study is to determine South African rugby coaches’ knowledge of the prevention, identification and management of concussion.