[en] Objectives To explore how sport-related concussions are recognised and managed in West African football, and to examine the applicability of international concussion tools in local contexts.
Design Qualitative study using a grounded theory method.
Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight physicians working in high-level football teams and national teams across Senegal, Mali and Gambia. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and then analysed through open, axial and selective coding.
Results Six overarching categories emerged in the analysis: (1) the concussion burden is unclear due to under-reporting and lack of awareness, with concussion risks often overshadowed by other conditions perceived as more serious (e.g. cardiac); (2) protocols and tools such as SCAT are not applied; (3) organisational and resource gaps limit care; (4) clinical decisions are shaped by external pressures and absence of federation structures; (5) training remains insufficient and mostly theoretical; and (6) cultural norms (toughness, gender, mystical beliefs, and crowd influence) strongly affect practice.
Conclusion Concussion management in West Africa is marked by under-recognition, limited applicability of international tools, organisational deficiencies and cultural pressures. Current guidelines remain largely theoretical in this context. Broader access to context-sensitive and local education, federation-level structures such as concussion leads, as well as culturally adapted strategies are needed to improve recognition and management of sport-related concussion in this context.
Disciplines :
Orthopedics, rehabilitation & sports medicine
Author, co-author :
Tooth, Camille ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des Sciences de l'activité physique et de la réadaptation ; ReFORM IOC Research Centre for Prevention of Injury and Protection of Athlete Health ; Sports Medicine and Science (LIROMS), Luxembourg Institute of Research in Orthopedics, Luxembourg, Luxembourg ; Department of Physical Medicine, Rehabilitation and Sports Traumatology, FIMS Collaborative Centre of Sports Medicine, FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence, SportS²
Fischer, Lolita; ReFORM IOC Research Centre for Prevention of Injury and Protection of Athlete Health ; Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology, Swiss Olympic Medical Center, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
Leclerc, Suzanne; ReFORM IOC Research Centre for Prevention of Injury and Protection of Athlete Health ; Institut National du Sport du Québec, Montréal, Canada
Douryang, Maurice; Department of Physiotherapy and Physical Medicine, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon
Aminake, Ghislain; Orthopaedics and Trauma, Baptist Hospital Mutengene, Mutengene, Cameroon
Delvaux, François ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des Sciences de l'activité physique et de la réadaptation ; ReFORM IOC Research Centre for Prevention of Injury and Protection of Athlete Health ; Department of Physical Medicine, Rehabilitation and Sports Traumatology, FIMS Collaborative Centre of Sports Medicine, FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence, SportS²
Seil, Romain; ReFORM IOC Research Centre for Prevention of Injury and Protection of Athlete Health ; Sports Medicine and Science (LIROMS), Luxembourg Institute of Research in Orthopedics, Luxembourg, Luxembourg ; Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Centre Hospitalier Luxembourg, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
Hannouche, Didier; ReFORM IOC Research Centre for Prevention of Injury and Protection of Athlete Health ; Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology, Swiss Olympic Medical Center, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
Martens, Géraldine ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des Sciences de l'activité physique et de la réadaptation ; ReFORM IOC Research Centre for Prevention of Injury and Protection of Athlete Health
Verhagen, Evert; UEFA, Union of European Football Associations, Nyon, Switzerland ; Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Collaboration on Health & Safety in Sports, Amsterdam Movement Science, Amsterdam UMC Locatie VUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Kaux, Jean-François ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des Sciences de l'activité physique et de la réadaptation > Médecine physique, réadaptation et traumatologie du sport ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des Sciences de l'activité physique et de la réadaptation ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Evaluation-Revalidation (EVAREVA) ; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège - CHU > > Service de médecine de l'appareil locomoteur
Tscholl, Philippe; ReFORM IOC Research Centre for Prevention of Injury and Protection of Athlete Health ; Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology, Swiss Olympic Medical Center, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
Language :
English
Title :
Are usual concussion tools universally applicable? Challenges in concussion management in west African football -a qualitative study
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