ERIC Number: EJ1473099
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0744-8481
EISSN: EISSN-1940-3208
Available Date: 0000-00-00
A Theory-Based Exploration of Psychosocial Factors Influencing Concussion Health Seeking Intentions in College Students
Journal of American College Health, v73 n2 p723-732 2025
Objective: This mixed method study examined how psychosocial factors from the Theory of Planned Behavior and Reasoned Action (TPB/RA) influence health-seeking behaviors after concussion, expanding from student-athlete TPB/RA research to assess the influence of psychosocial factors within a general college population. Participants: Two hundred and forty-four students participated from a large Southeastern public university. Methods: A concurrent nested mixed-methods approach involving closed- and constructed-response survey questions. Results: Subjective norms (direct: B = 0.499, p = 0.002; indirect: B = 0.023, p = 0.046) and attitude (indirect: B = 0.034, p = 0.041) were significant predictors of intention to seek medical care after a hypothetical concussion. Open-ended responses were coded by anticipated post-injury behaviors. Only 36.2% of the sample indicated intention to seek medical care. The most common response (38.3%) was students would self-treat a suspected concussion. Conclusions: Subjective norms and indirect attitudes are important to understanding how general college students seek care after a concussion, particularly how the influence of others are important in the decision to seek healthcare.
Descriptors: Health Behavior, Head Injuries, Brain, Student Athletes, College Students, Predictor Variables, Intention, Access to Health Care, Student Attitudes, Student Characteristics
Taylor & Francis. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Communication Sciences and Special Education, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA; 2Allied Health Sciences, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; 3Courage Kenny Research Center at Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute/Allina Health, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA