Adoption of Lightning Safety Best-Practices Policies in the Secondary School Setting.

Item request has been placed! ×
Item request cannot be made. ×
loading   Processing Request
Read More Add to Saved list
  • Additional Information
    • Subject Terms:
      HIGH schools; SAFETY; SUDDEN death; CONFIDENCE intervals; CROSS-sectional method; SOCIAL media; MANN Whitney U Test; MEDICAL protocols; LIGHTNING; CHI-squared test; QUESTIONNAIRES; DISEASE prevalence; DESCRIPTIVE statistics; RESEARCH funding; ODDS ratio; DATA analysis software
    • Subject Terms:
      UNITED States
    • Abstract:
      Lightning-related injuries are among the top 10 causes of sport-related death at all levels of sport, including the nearly 8 million athletes participating in US secondary school sports. To investigate the adoption of lightning safety policies and the factors that influence the development of comprehensive lightning safety policies in United States secondary schools. Cross-sectional study. Secondary school. Athletic trainers (ATs). An online questionnaire was developed based on the "National Athletic Trainers' Association Position Statement: Lightning Safety for Athletics and Recreation" using a health behavior model, the precaution adoption process model, along with facilitators of and barriers to the current adoption of lightning-related policies and factors that influence the adoption of lightning policies. Precaution adoption process model stage (unaware for need, unaware if have, unengaged, undecided, decided not to act, decided to act, acting, maintaining) responses are presented as frequencies. Chi-square tests of associations and prevalence ratios with 95% CIs were calculated to compare respondents in higher and lower vulnerability states, based on data regarding lightning-related deaths. The response rate for this questionnaire was 13.43% (n = 365), with additional questionnaires completed via social media (n = 56). A majority of ATs reported maintaining (69%, n = 287) and acting (6.5%, n = 27) a comprehensive lightning safety policy. Approximately 1 in 4 ATs (25.1%, n = 106) described using flash to bang as an evacuation criterion. Athletic trainers practicing in more vulnerable states were more likely to adopt a lightning policy than those in less vulnerable states (57.4% versus 42.6%, prevalence ratio [95% CI] = 1.16 [1.03, 1.30]; P =.009). The most commonly cited facilitator and barrier were a requirement from a state high school athletics association and financial limitations, respectively. A majority of ATs related adopting (eg, maintaining and acting) the best practices for lightning safety. However, many ATs also indicated continued use of outdated methods (eg, flash to bang). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
    • Abstract:
      Copyright of Journal of Athletic Training (Allen Press) is the property of KnowledgeWorks Global, Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)