Objective: Establish the knowledge and beliefs of the parents of high school rugby players about concussion.
Design: Descriptive cross-sectional intercept style face-to-face pilot survey.
Setting: The survey was conducted during high school rugby games.
Participants: Two hundred parents of male high school rugby players who were attending their teenagers' games.
Main outcome measures: Exploratory analysis of the closed- and open-ended questionnaire. Concussion signs and symptoms were subsequently mapped onto the framework of the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool.
Results: Most parents (83%; 165 of 198) reported that they were able to recognize a concussion in their teenager and provide a list of well-accepted signs and symptoms. Nearly all (96%; 188 of 196) were aware of the risks of continuing to play while concussed, and approximately half (51%; 99 of 196) were aware of return-to-play guidelines/recommendations after a concussion.
Conclusions: Parents of male high school rugby players reported having basic knowledge of concussion symptoms and the seriousness of concussion. Parents are potentially key figures in the detection of a possible concussion in the postgame/practice home environment.