1. Acknowledgements
Dr. Michael Lehr – LVC Physical Therapy Department
Erin Kolacek – LVC AthleticTraining Department
Caitlyn Foltz – LVC AthleticTraining Department
The Effect of Gender Differences and Social Support on the
Compliance of Injured College Athletes
Rebecca Derbes, Erin McCarthy, Matthew Turner and Kelsey Wallen
Lebanon Valley College
Design
A cross-sectional survey that contained 39 questions, including information
about the athletes’ sport, injury, compliance, social support, and
demographics, was used. Two indexes were created for social support and
one for compliance to be used in statistical analysis. These indexes were
made up of survey questions pertaining to the dimensions of compliance
and social support listed in Figure 2.
Sample
A convenience sample for injured student-athletes that missed at least one
day of practice, and who were given and followed a rehabilitation program
by a medical professional (i.e. Athletic Trainer, Physical Therapist, or
Doctor) within the last year was used.
Participants
A sample of 44 injured student-athletes served as participants; female
(n=23) and male (n=21).
Procedure
Surveys were distributed to injured student-athletes by Athletic Trainers
and researchers. Once completed, surveys were placed into individually
sealed envelopes to maintain confidentiality.
Gender
The survey indicated that injured male student-athletes (m=40.63,
S.D=4.11) had higher compliance scores than injured female student-
athletes (m=39.25, S.D=3.62). Therefore, the null hypothesis was accepted.
The difference between the two means was not statistically significant at
the .05 level (t=1.122, d.f.=30).
Although the above findings were not significant, results showed that
20 females (87.0%) always attended their scheduled rehabilitation,
whereas 12 males (57.1%) always attended their scheduled rehabilitation
(see Figure 1). These results indicate that injured female athletes are more
likely than male injured athletes to attend scheduled rehabilitation
appointments. The Chi Square test indicates that there is a statistically
significant relationship between gender and rehabilitation attendance
(r(2)=7.38, p<.05).
Social Support
A Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated for the relationship
between satisfaction of social support and compliance. A moderate,
positive correlation was found (Pearson=.363, p<.05), indicating a
significant relationship between the two variables. Injured athletes having
greater satisfaction with their social support from coaches, teammates,
friends, and family tend to have higher levels of compliance (see Table 1).
A second Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated for the
relationship between the amount of social support received and
compliance. A moderate, positive correlation was found (Pearson=.447,
p<.05) indicating a significant relationship between the two variables.
Injured athletes with greater amounts of received social support tend to
have higher levels of compliance (see Table 2). Therefore, the null
hypothesis was rejected.
Based on the results, the hypothesis that female injured athletes are
more compliant than male injured athletes did not uphold. However, one
of the dimensions of compliance revealed that females show greater
attendance to rehabilitation treatments compared to their male
counterparts. The data regarding social support did sustain the
hypothesis that greater levels of social support do increase compliance.
Due to the discovery of social support impacting compliance, it is beneficial
for the Athletic Department, including Coaches, Athletic Trainers, and
support staff, to become aware of how influential and important their
relationships are with the student-athletes.
As a result of a relatively small injured student-athlete population
and limited resources, further research is highly recommended in order to
allow for generalizations to be made. In addition to the limited population,
certain questions of the survey were eliminated in our data analysis due to
non-variation, non-applicability, and/or researcher error.
Sports-related injuries pose a risk for any student athlete.
Regardless of how injuries develop compliance with prescribed
treatment programs from a medical professional is crucial to ensure
proper healing, long-term recovery and the ability to resume the sport
in a timely manner. The purpose of this study was to examine if both
gender and social support influence a student athlete’s compliance
towards their rehabilitation program. We hypothesized the following:
(1) injured female athletes would be more compliant than injured
male athletes and (2) athletes with a greater social support network
will more compliant than athletes with less social support. Data was
collected over a two-week period using a cross-sectional survey
distributed by athletic trainers. Injured student athletes (non-sport
specific) of Lebanon Valley College completed the surveys voluntarily
and with a 100% response rate (n=44).
Our results indicated that gender does not significantly influence
injured athletes’ compliance; however, female athletes were more
likely to attend their rehabilitation more regularly than male athletes.
Social support however did display statistically significantly levels of
compliance to prescribed rehabilitation programs on two measured
dimensions: the amount of support received and satisfaction with
support. This information can be beneficial in understanding the value
of relationships and social interaction during recovery from a injury.
References
Chan, D. (2010).Patients’ adherence/compliance to physical therapy home exercises. Fizyoter Rehabil, 21(3),132-139.
Clements, D., & Shannon, V. R. (2011).Injured athletes’ perceptions about social support. Journal of Sport Rehabilitation,20 (4), 457–
470.
Levy, A. R., Polman, R. C. J., Nicholls, A. R., & Marchant, D.C. (2009). Sport injury rehabilitation adherence: Perspectives of
recreational athletes. InternationalJournal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 7(2), 212 – 229.
Method
Conclusion
Abstract Results
Figure 2. Possible Factors Affecting Compliance
Table 1. Social Support Satisfaction Correlation with Compliance
Table 2. Social Support Received Correlation with Compliance
Figure 1. Gender Distribution of Rehabilitation Attendance