Differences In Outcomes Among Interscholastic Athletes Who Had Athletic Trainers Versus Those Who Did Not

Download or read book Differences In Outcomes Among Interscholastic Athletes Who Had Athletic Trainers Versus Those Who Did Not written by Katherine Adrian and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Background: Inequitable access to healthcare remains a determinant of health in this country. Factors which play into this inequity in the general population, such as low socioeconomic status and being located in a rural area, also affect access to athletic training services in the high school and secondary school setting. An athletic trainer can provide timely and appropriate medical care to an athlete after experiencing a sports-related injury or illness at no additional cost to the athlete or their family. Having access to athletic trainers generally indicates that a school is better prepared to handle an emergency injury situation before such an injury occurs and that injuries are recognized and treated in a timely and appropriate manner. Methods: A systematic literature review was performed using keywords "athletic trainer", "high school or secondary school", and "disparity or access". Inclusion criteria: peer-reviewed articles, published from 2005-2020 in the English language with a setting of high schools or secondary schools. Exclusion criteria: articles not pertaining to the target population, conference proceedings, duplicate articles. Articles categorized by level of socioecological model to which they pertained. Results: 25 articles were found. Major themes of the articles included general access to athletic trainers (n=11), sports-related concussions (n=9), exertional heat stroke (n=2), and emergency action plans (n=3). Discussion: Access to athletic training services has positive impacts on the implementation of emergency action plans, preparedness for heat illnesses, and recognition and management of sports-related concussions. This set of articles also supports that athletic training services are less likely to be available in lower socioeconomic areas, rural areas, and in private schools. All levels of the socioeconomic model were represented in this search, though with policy level research the most lacking.