HELMETLESS TACKLING TRAINING INTERVENTION AND PRESEASON SELF-EFFICACY EFFECTS ON HEAD IMPACTS IN HAWAIʻI HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

Abstract

Objective: Head impacts in football may be influenced by many factors, such as proper tackling and blocking techniques, years of experience, or self-efficacy. However, how these factors affect or relate to each other has not been investigated. Therefore, examining how head impacts in football are influenced by preseason self-efficacy (SE), intervention participation (IP), and years of experience (YE) playing organized tackle football may provide stakeholders with information to reduce head injuries. Design: Quantitative research consisting of a cross-sectional self-efficacy survey, a tackling training intervention, and a head impact monitoring system. Setting: Local high schools’ football fields. Participants: Initially 232 participants were recruited from five high school football teams as part of a larger study investigating the effectiveness of a helmetless tackling intervention. Final sample size of (n=120: male; n=118, female; n=2, 15.57±1.23yrs) due to incomplete >80% of one self-efficacy survey factor (response rate of 42.2%) and had incomplete head impact data. Independent Variables: preseason SE, IP, and YE playing organized tackle football. Main Outcome Measures: Self-efficacy was measured using a 53-question survey, previously validated for face and content validity, and based on Bandura’s General Self-Efficacy Scale. Questions measured level of confidence (0=no confidence, 100=highly confident) and categorized into five subscales. The accumulation of total head impacts (THI) was measured using Riddell InSite Speedflex helmets (Elyria, OH) throughout the season. An on-site research assistant recorded start/end times and participant attendance (i.e., exposure) for practices, scrimmages, and games. Head impact exposure (HIE) was standardized as a ratio of impacts per session. Multiple regression analysis tested the relationship between two dependent variables THI or HIE with seven predictor variables IP, five SE categories, and YE. Results: For THI 22.1% of the variation in the regression model was explained by the predictors (r=0.470 r2=0.221). IP had a negative correlation with THI (B=-4.480, P=0.019), while SE1 (B=3.133, P=0.010) and >8 years of experience (B=135.9, P=0.009) had a positive correlation with THI. For HIE 25.4% of the variation in the regression model was explained by the predictors (r=0.504 r2=0.254). IP had a negative correlation with number of total head impacts (B=-0.077, P=0.007), while SE1(B=3.133, P=0.010) and >8 years of experience (B=2.735, P=<0.001) had a positive correlation with HIE. Conclusions: THI and HIE are associated with players that have more than eight years of experience, have a lower number of days in IP and increased SE1 confidence scores. Players with more confidence and experience tend to engage in more risky behaviors when playing football. An early increase in the amount of time athletes spend practicing proper tackling and blocking techniques may further decrease the amount of head impacts received over time.