Ensuring implementation success: how should coach injury prevention education be improved if we want coaches to deliver safety programmes during training sessions?
- Authors: White, Peta , Otago, Leonie , Saunders, Natalie , Romiti, Maria , Donaldson, Alex , Ullah, Shahid , Finch, Caroline
- Date: 2014
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: British Journal of Sports Medicine Vol. 48, no. 5 (2014), p. 402-403
- Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/565900
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- Description: Coaches play a major role in encouraging and ensuring that participants of their teams adopt appropriate safety practices. However, the extent to which the coaches undertake this role will depend upon their attitudes about injury prevention, their perceptions of what the other coaches usually do and their own beliefs about how much control they have in delivering such programmes. Fifty-one junior netball coaches were surveyed about incorporating the teaching of correct (safe) landing technique during their delivery of training sessions to junior players. Overall, >94% of coaches had strongly positive attitudes towards teaching correct landing technique and >80% had strongly positive perceptions of their own control over delivering such programmes. Coaches’ ratings of social norms relating to what others think about teaching safe landing were more positive (>94%) than those relating to what others actually do (63–74%). In conclusion, the junior coaches were generally receptive towards delivering safe landing training programmes in the training sessions they led. Future coach education could include role modelling by prominent coaches so that more community-level coaches are aware that this is a behaviour that many coaches can, and do, engage in.
Encouraging junior community netball players to learn correct safe landing technique
- Authors: White, Peta , Ullah, Shahid , Donaldson, Alex , Otago, Leonie , Saunders, Natalie , Romiti, Maria , Finch, Caroline
- Date: 2011
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport Vol.15 , no.1 (2011), p.19-24
- Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/565900
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- Description: Behavioural factors and beliefs are important determinants of the adoption of sports injury interventions. This study aimed to understand behavioural factors associated with junior community netball players' intentions to learn correct landing technique during coach-led training sessions, proposed as a means of reducing their risk of lower limb injury. 287 female players from 58 junior netball teams in the 2007/2008-summer competition completed a 13-item questionnaire developed from the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). This assessed players' attitudes (four items), subjective norms (four), perceived behavioural control (four) and intentions (one) around the safety behaviour of learning correct landing technique at netball training. All items were rated on a seven-point bipolar scale. Cluster-adjusted logistic regression was used to assess which TPB constructs were most associated with strong intentions. Players had positive intentions and attitudes towards learning safe landing technique and perceived positive social pressure from significant others. They also perceived themselves to have considerable control over engaging (or not) in this behaviour. Players' attitudes (p < 0.001) and subjective norms (p < 0.001), but not perceived behavioural control (p = 0.49), were associated with strong intentions to learn correct landing technique at training. Injury prevention implementation strategies aimed at maximising junior players' participation in correct landing training programs should emphasise the benefits of learning correct landing technique (i.e. change attitudes) and involve significant others and role models whom junior players admire (i.e. capitalise on social norms) in the promotion of such programs. © 2011 Sports Medicine Australia.
Reliability of equipment for measuring the ground hardness and traction
- Authors: Twomey, Dara , Otago, Leonie , Ullah, Shahid , Finch, Caroline
- Date: 2011
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part P: Journal of Sports Engineering and Technology Vol. 225, no. 3 (2011), p. 131-137
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- Description: The aim of this paper is to report the inter-rater reliabilities and intra-rater reliabilities of the Clegg hammer, penetrometer, and studded-boot apparatus used for measuring the mechanical properties of natural turf, and to determine whether the level of experience influences the reliability. Three experienced and three novice testers measured the surface hardness and rotational traction at nine locations on a community-level Australian football oval. A repeated-measures analysis of variance tested for significant differences between the six testers for all equipment, and intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) were calculated to determine the inter-rater reliabilities and intra-rater reliabilities. The ICCs for the reliability between the six testers ranged between 0.77 and 0.87 for the Clegg hammer, ranged between 0.55 and 0.73 for the penetrometer, and equalled 0.51 for the studded-boot apparatus. The inter-rater reliabilities and intra-rater reliabilities were greater for the experienced testers than for the novice testers for the Clegg hammer and penetrometer but the novice testers produced greater inter-rater reliabilities for the studded-boot apparatus. This study highlights the potential variability that can exist between testers using the ground hardness and traction equipment, which has implications for future research involving multiple testers both in agronomic-based studies and in linking the surface properties to the injury risk across multiple venues. © Authors 2011.
The safety attitudes of people who use multi-purpose recreation facilities as a physical activity setting
- Authors: Finch, Caroline , Otago, Leonie , White, Peta , Donaldson, Alex , Mahoney, Mary
- Date: 2011
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Injury Control and Safety Promotion Vol. 18, no. 2 (2011), p. 107-112
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- Description: Multi-purpose recreation facilities (MPRFs) are a popular setting for physical activity and it is therefore important that they are safe for all patrons. However, the attitudes of MPRF users towards safety are a potential barrier to the success of injury prevention programmes implemented within MPRFs. This article reports a survey of the safety attitudes of over 700 users of four indoor MPRFs. Factor analysis of 12 five-point Likert scale statements showed that the attitudes clustered around three major dimensions - the importance of safety, the benefits of safety and the perceptions of injury risk. Together, these three dimensions accounted for 49% of the variability in the attitudes. More than 85% of respondents agreed/strongly agreed that: safety was an important aspect of physical activity participation; being injured affected enjoyment of physical activity; people should adopt appropriate safety measures for all physical activity; and individuals were responsible for their own safety. The MPRF users, particularly women and older people, were generally safety conscious, believed in adopting safety measures, and were willing to take responsibility for their own safety. Facility managers can be confident that if they provide evidence-based injury prevention interventions in these settings, then users will respond appropriately and adopt the promoted behaviours. © 2011 Taylor & Francis.
Coaches' perspectives on implementing an evidence-informed injury prevention programme in junior community netball
- Authors: Saunders, Natalie , Otago, Leonie , Romiti, Maria , Donaldson, Alex , White, Peta , Finch, Caroline
- Date: 2010
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: British Journal of Sports Medicine Vol. 44, no. 15 (2010), p. 1128-1132
- Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/565900
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- Description: Objective For effective sports injury prevention, information is needed about the implementation context for interventions. This study describes coaches' feedback on the implementation of an evidence-informed injury prevention programme in community junior netball using coaches' perceptions and the RE–AIM framework. Methods A lower-limb injury prevention programme (Down to Earth; D2E), for teaching safe-landing techniques, was delivered to 31 coaches from 31 junior community netball teams in a 1-h workshop. Coaches then delivered a 6-week programme at team training sessions starting in the week before the competition season commenced. 65% of coaches completed a feedback survey 17 weeks after they had delivered the programme. Results Most (88%) coaches believed that D2E improved their players' ability to perform correct landing techniques in games and that players had retained these improvements over the season. The majority (83%) indicated that an improvement in player athletic attributes was the greatest advantage of D2E, followed by a reduction in injury risk. Identified barriers to implementing D2E were running out of time and very young players finding the drills too difficult. Coaches reported that they needed more ideas for training drills that could be incorporated into their programmes and believed that their own coaching training did not adequately prepare them to implement an injury prevention programme. Conclusions Although coaches believed that D2E was effective in developing correct landing techniques, some modifications are needed to make it more suitable for younger players and coach education by accreditation courses could be improved to support the implementation of injury prevention programmes.
Safe physical activity environments - to what extent are local government authorities auditing the safety of grassed sporting fields?
- Authors: Otago, Leonie , Swan, Peter , Donaldson, Alex , Payne, Warren , Finch, Caroline
- Date: 2009
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: ACHPER Healthy Lifestyles Journal Vol. 56, no. 2 (2009), p. 5-9
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- Description: 2003008181
The policies and practices of sports governing bodies in relation to assessing the safety of sports grounds
- Authors: Swan, Peter , Otago, Leonie , Finch, Caroline , Payne, Warren
- Date: 2009
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport Vol. 12, no. 1 (2009), p. 171-176
- Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/565900
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- Description: Sport is an important context for physical activity and it is critical that safe environments are provided for such activity. Sports safety is influenced by the presence of sports ground environmental hazards such as ground hardness, poorly maintained playing fields, surface irregularities and the presence of debris/rubbish. To reduce injury risk, sports governing bodies need to ensure regular assessment of grounds safety and the removal of identified hazards. This study describes sports ground safety guidelines and recommendations of a sample of sports governing bodies and provides recommendations for how they could be improved. Semi-structured key informant interviews were conducted with nominees of state governing bodies for Australian football, cricket, soccer and hockey. The use of matchday checklists to identify ground hazards, as mandated by insurance companies was widely promoted across all levels of play. Sports governing bodies had more direct involvement in assessing grounds used for higher level of play, than grounds used for community or junior sport. There was a general presumption that identified hazards on community grounds would be corrected by local councils or clubs before anyone played on them, but this was rarely monitored. Sports governing bodies run the risk of being negligent in their duty of care to sports participants if they do not formally monitor the implementation of their ground safety polices and guidelines. There is also further scope for sports bodies to work closely with insurers to develop ground safety assessment guidelines specific to their sport. © 2008 Sports Medicine Australia.
- Description: 2003008186
The safety policies and practices of community multi-purpose recreation facilities
- Authors: Finch, Caroline , Donaldson, Alex , Mahoney, Mary , Otago, Leonie
- Date: 2009
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Safety Science Vol. 47, no. 10 (2009), p. 1346-1350
- Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/565900
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- Description: This research investigated the under-explored area of safety in multi-purpose recreation facilities (MPRFs). Facility managers and other managerial staff (key informants) from four MPRFs in Victoria, Australia participated in semi-structured interviews. Safety was considered important from Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S), business viability and legal liability perspectives but not from a health promotion or public health point of view. Most implemented injury prevention measures required gymnasium and pool staff or users to change their behaviours. Awareness of safety standards was higher for some operational areas (e.g. aquatics, child-care) than others (e.g. gymnasium, group fitness activities). Key informants struggled to keep abreast of legislation changes and they relied on commercial, regulatory, and industry information sources rather than evidence of best practice. Reported factors influencing safety in MPRFs were classified into three types: internal (e.g. training, culture); external (e.g. weather, demographic change); and governance (e.g. insurance, industry standards). Comprehensive, relevant and accessible industry safety standards, which focus not only on OH&S but equally on health promotion principles and public health perspectives linked to injury prevention, are required. Training is needed to reflect these broader and equally important perspectives. Health/injury, fitness/recreation and insurance sector links should be improved to ensure a consistent, sustainable approach to safety. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
- Description: 2003008180
What do users of multi-purpose recreation facilities think about safety at those facilities?
- Authors: Finch, Caroline , Donaldson, Alex , Otago, Leonie , Mahoney, Mary
- Date: 2009
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Sport Health Vol. 27, no. 3 (2009), p. 31-35
- Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/565900
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- Description: The multi-purpose recreation facilities (MPRF) users' perceptions of the safety-related policies and practices within those facilities are discussed. Some of the measures that can be applied by MPRF managers and others to promote safety in these facilities are highlighted.
- Description: 2003008196
Who Chooses to Use Multi-purpose Recreation Facilities for Their Physical Activity Setting?
- Authors: Finch, Caroline , Donaldson, Alex , Mahoney, Mary , Otago, Leonie
- Date: 2009
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Sport health Vol. 27, no. 2 (2009), p. 16-18
- Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/565900
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Barriers and facilitators towards a netball landing intervention program ("Down to Earth") among coaches of junior teams
- Authors: Romiti, Maria , White, Peta , Saunders, Natalie , Otago, Leonie , Donaldson, Alex , Finch, Caroline
- Date: 2008
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at ASICS Conference of science and medicine in sport 2008, Hamilton Island : 16th-18th October 2008
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- Description: Introduction: Published netball data have indicated that the ankle and knee are common sites for injury, often as a result of incorrect landing technique. Promising results have been demonstrated across various sports using training intervention studies designed to reduce lower limb injury rates. This qualitative study examines the barriers and facilitators towards the implementation of a 6-week landing intervention program (“Down to Earth”) by coaches of junior netball teams. Methodology: Coaches of junior teams (n = 30) were recruited prior to the competition season (October 2007 to March 2008) and attended a workshop where the coaching requirements of the program were demonstrated. Coaches were instructed to implement the program at training, noting any issues regarding program compliance. Pre- and post-season surveys modelled on the Theory of Planned Behaviour were used to indicate coaches’ attitudes, perceived social norms and behavioural control towards safe landing programs in netball. Retention of correct landing principles was assessed and barriers and facilitators for broader implementation among junior netball coaches were determined. Results and discussion: Results will be presented to indicate how coaches’ attitudes and knowledge towards landing intervention programs can assist in the development of an effective implementation strategy of a training injury prevention intervention, to a broader netball community. An example of feedback provided was”…we have noticed quite an improvement in the kids, and their landing and balancing, so it is all been worth while. We were also discussing…about including the program into our junior training next year and how best to do this”.
Do hard playing fields increase the risk of injury in community level Australian football?
- Authors: Twomey, Dara , Otago, Leonie , Finch, Caroline , Chivers, I. , Orchard, John
- Date: 2008
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at ASICS Conference of science and medicine in sport 2008, Hamilton Island : 16th-18th October 2008
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- Description: Introduction: Certain ground conditions, including hardness, have been associated with an increased injury risk. Many sporting grounds have been deemed unplayable based on hardness measures and subsequently closed. However, most research linking injury to ground conditions has been based on subjective observations or focussed at high performance venues. The aim of this study was to identify the relationship between ground hardness and injury incidence in community level Australian football. Methodology: Measurements of ground hardness, using the Clegg hammer, were recorded on eight community level football grounds between 4 and 8 times during the 2007 season. Injury data was collected by trained data collectors over the season. The 1st Clegg hammer drop was used as the hardness measure, and injuries were ranked as ‘likely’, ‘possibly’, and ‘unlikely’ to be related to grounds by three independent assessors. Results: 130 injuries were recorded at the grounds tested. The Clegg hammer measures ranged from 55 to 134 gravities (g), with four injuries sustained at readings over 120 × g. Of the 130 injuries, 12 were classified as ‘likely’ to be related to ground conditions, 29 ‘possibly’ related, 75 ‘unlikely’ and 14 unknown due to incomplete details. None of the ‘likely’ injuries were sustained on readings over 120 × g. No significant relationships were found between ground hardness and any injury profiles (0.02 < r < 0.14, p < 0.01). Conclusions: Presently, sporting grounds are being closed with hardness readings exceeding 120 × g. The results of this study provide some evidence to challenge this, however, due to low injury rates further research with a larger cohort is necessary.
Parental perceptions of sports injury risk
- Authors: Otago, Leonie , Garnham, Jennie , Reynolds, Michael , Spittle, Michael , Payne, Warren , Finch, Caroline , Maher, Shelley
- Date: 2005
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at 2005 Australian Conference of Science and Medicine in Sport, Fifth National Physical Activity Conference, Fourth National Sports Injury Prevention Conference : Promoting Innovation, measuring success, Melbourne Convention Centre, Melbourne, Victoria : 13th-16th October 2005
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- Description: Health benefits of children’s participation in physical activity such as reduced risk of obesity and diabetes are promoted to parents. However parents’ perceptions of injury risk in sports and how this perception may affect their choice of sport for their child is unknown. The study surveyed 5385 parents of children from 5 – 17 years in 46 sports. A total of 887 surveys were returned. The Health Belief model was the theoretical framework for the study and the sports were divided into four groups – contact, incidental collision, limited contact and non-contact. Mothers completed the forms in 63% of cases and 52.2% of the children were males. The child selected the sport in 51.6% of` cases and generally parents did not believe that their involvement in their child’s sport choice would ensure their child was safer from injury. In the main parents did not believe the sport their child participated in was less likely to cause injury than other sports and this trend increased as the level of contact increased. Trained coaches were seen as very important in reducing injury risk in sport. Generally modified sport was not seen to positively impact on the parent’s choice of sport and parents did not think that cost of protective equipment was a barrier to providing for their child. Parents generally felt that they could assess the risk of injury in a sport but were not influenced by the risk of injury when allowing their child to play a particular sport.
- Description: 2003001109