Self-reported concussion history among the Icelandic public, with and without a definition of concussion

Abstract

The objective of this study was to examine whether the Icelandic general public bases its self-reported concussion history on an appropriate medical definition. This was done by assessing and comparing self-reported concussion history, with and without providing a definition of concussion. It was hypothesized that the prevalence of reported concussions would increase following a definition. A convenience sample of 651 Icelandic adults (M = 38.1, SD = 13.3) participated by answering an online questionnaire, distributed via social media. The gender ratio was unbalanced, with 89.6% females (M = 38.4, SD = 13.1), 9,8% males (M = 34.9, SD = 14.3), and 0.5% non-binary (M = 40.5, SD = 10.1). As hypothesized, the prevalence of reported concussions increased from 34.1% to 55.1% after participants read the definition, which represents a significant change (χ2(2) = 319.1, p < .001). These findings suggest that the general understanding of the definition of concussion is limited among the Icelandic public and indicates that broader access to information and coordinated educational efforts on concussions would be beneficial to public health. Keywords: concussion knowledge, prevalence, self-report, mild-head injury, Iceland general public