836 MEP152 – Players and coaching staff knowledge, attitude, and behaviour towards concussion ahead of the FIFA Women’s world cup 2023

AbstractBackground The level of knowledge, attitude and behaviour (KAB) of players and coaching staff (CS) towards Sports-related Concussion (SRC) may positively or negatively impact the severity and management of head injuries in football. Objective To assess KAB of FIFA Women's World Cup (FWWC) 2023 players and coaching staff towards concussion. Design Cross-sectional. Setting Online survey prior to the FWWC 2023. Participants Players and CS from teams qualified to the FWWC were invited. 229 players and 89 CS completed the survey. Assessment: The survey was based on previous concussion questionnaires, FIFA Concussion Protocol. It contained 31 (players) and 29 (CS) questions on knowledge, attitude, and behaviour towards SRC assessment and return to play. Main Outcome Measurements Percentage of responses in each question.Results 21% of players reported having previously sustained a concussion, and 60% of CS had experienced a player with a suspected concussion. Knowledge: Only 33% of players and 40% of CS were aware of a concussion protocol. However, the majority (players: 81%, CS: 90%); recognized that there is a risk to long-term health and well-being from multiple concussions. Attitude: Only 45% of players and 27% of CS reported being very confident/confident in recognizing a suspected concussion. If feeling concussion symptoms, 10% of players would never or just rarely report them. Behaviour: Some players (10%) and CS (13%) reported to have pressured the medical staff (sometimes, very often or always) when they were deciding whether to remove a player due to suspected concussion; whereas 10% of CS reported to have suggested accelerating a players' return to play, if she was important for the next match.Conclusions Players and CS participating in the FWWC 2023 showed limited knowledge about concussion. The identified gaps informed FIFA's strategies to inform players and stakeholders on prevention and management of concussions during the FWWC.