Model System:

TBI

Reference Type:

Journal

Accession No.:

J75831

Journal:


Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Year, Volume, Issue, Page(s):

, 98, 4, 751-758

Publication Website:

Abstract:

Study evaluated the effectiveness of an educational intervention designed to improve knowledge about traumatic brain injury (TBI) among Blacks and Latinos with complicated mild, moderate, or severe TBI. Participants were 52 adults with complicated mild-to-severe TBI (mean age, 37.71 years); 25 participants were Black and 27 were Hispanic/Latino. Of the Hispanic/Latino participants, 18 (66.7 percent) were not born in the United States and 12 (44.4 percent) spoke Spanish as their primary language. Twenty-seven individuals were randomized to a single-session educational intervention with written materials provided in English or Spanish, while the remaining 25 comprised the wait-list control group. The 40-item Common Misconceptions about Traumatic Brain Injury Questionnaire (CM-TBI) was administered at baseline and 1-month follow-up. After controlling for ethnic and language differences, results showed a significant between-group main effect and a significant time-group interaction for the CM-TBI was noted. The intervention group showed a decrease in TBI misconception percentages, whereas the wait-list control group maintained similar percentages. At 1-month follow-up, the wait-list control group reported more misconceptions than did the intervention group. The findings demonstrate that an educational intervention developed to address the recovery process, common symptoms, and ways to handle the symptoms shows promise as a tool to decrease TBI misconceptions among individuals from ethnically and educationally diverse backgrounds.

Author(s):


Pappadis, Monique R., Sander, Angelle M., Lukaszewska, Beata, Struchen, Margaret A., Leung, Patrick, Smith, Dennis W.

Participating Centers: