Biomaterial Database

Preparticipation sports assessment in western Pennsylvania. 1991

B J Bradford, and C W Lyons

Department of Pediatrics, Mercy Hospital of Pittsburgh, PA 15219.

The preparticipation sports assessment is considered an important component of medical care for student athletes. Recent debate has ensued regarding the benefit for either athletes or schools from the assessments as currently practiced. This study describes the content, style, and methods of the required preparticipation sports assessments prior to an autumn football season in western Pennsylvania and discusses the implications of these findings. The results suggest that most examinations were brief, with little attention paid to important elements of the history or screening tests. Health education is not an important component of these encounters. In summary, such assessments did not meet either a health or education agenda and probably need to be revised if they are to have legal and medical support.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D010414	Pennsylvania	State bounded on the north by New York and Lake Erie, on the east by Delaware and New Jersey, on the south by Delaware and Maryland, and on the west by Ohio and West Virginia.
D010808	Physical Examination	Systematic and thorough inspection of the patient for physical signs of disease or abnormality.	Physical Exam,Examination, Physical,Physical Examinations and Diagnoses,Exam, Physical,Examinations, Physical,Exams, Physical,Physical Examinations,Physical Exams
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000293	Adolescent	A person 13 to 18 years of age.	Adolescence,Youth,Adolescents,Adolescents, Female,Adolescents, Male,Teenagers,Teens,Adolescent, Female,Adolescent, Male,Female Adolescent,Female Adolescents,Male Adolescent,Male Adolescents,Teen,Teenager,Youths
D012574	Schools	Educational institutions.	Primary Schools,Schools, Secondary,Secondary Schools,Primary School,School,School, Primary,School, Secondary,Schools, Primary,Secondary School
D013177	Sports	Activities or games, usually involving physical effort or skill. Reasons for engagement in sports include pleasure, competition, and/or financial reward.	Athletics,Athletic,Sport