Create, curate, cooperate : Exploring the process of sport safety resource development

Sports injuries are a significant public health burden both in Australia, and worldwide. Preventing injuries in sports settings is thus an important public health goal. It is now generally accepted that sports injuries are, like other unintentional injuries, largely preventable. Yet intractable problems remain. Complexity theory is harnessed in this research as a means of understanding such problems. To provide new insights into the complexity of sports safety promotion, this research consisted of a qualitative case study design underpinned by constructivist assumptions. Study A documented sports injury prevention and safety promotion resources available from the websites of key sporting organisations. A thematic document analysis approach was used to identify and describe how many, and what types of, resources were available, as well as the sports injury prevention and safety promotion issues addressed. The findings of Study A suggest that sport settings have access to a proliferation of rival resources, which reflects a potentially inefficient and ineffective manner in which to influence policy/practice. Study B determined the process that key intermediary organisations used to develop and disseminate the resources identified in Study A. Interviews with key participants about organisational processes of knowledge translation were undertaken, and a qualitative description approach was used to examine their accounts. The findings of Study B suggest that intermediary organisations can, and do, take on knowledge translation roles in order to make research knowledge more relevant (timely, salient, actionable), accessible (formatted and available), and legitimate (credible) for end-users. A complexity approach was applied to this study to assist in recognising that open systems (stratification and fluidity), non-linearity (emergent properties and feedback loops), and improbability (demi-regularities and the ability to evolve, learn, and adapt) underscore sports safety. This study explicates and examines key insights and implications of adopting a complexity approach to the prevention of injury in sport settings.Doctor of Philosoph

Integrating and maintaining automated external defibrillators and emergency planning in community sport settings: a qualitative case study

Introduction A voluntary State Government-led programme in Victoria, Australia ‘Defibrillators for Sporting Clubs and Facilities Program’ ran from 2015 to 2019, broadly aimed at increasing access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs), together with a greater number of community members trained for management of medical emergencies. This study aimed to understand whether participating sport clubs/facilities had successfully integrated an AED and medical planning with other club/facility safety practices, 12 months after delivery of the programme. Methods This was a qualitative case study of 14 sport clubs/facilities in Victoria, Australia in 2017, underpinned by the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework. We conducted observational audits of facilities (to locate AED placement, signage and other relevant location-specific factors) and semi-structured, face-to-face interviews with representatives of the clubs/facilities. Interview questions were designed to determine if and how the related, mandated emergency management programme was adapted for the long term (embedding), whether this aligned to ongoing organisational mission (active engagement), and whether or not it was still ongoing 6 months postinitial implementation (sustainability). Data were evaluated using qualitative descriptive methodology. For reporting, descriptive summaries of the audit were combined with interview data to contextualise and visualise the sport club/facility setting and key results. Results Key issues identified were accessibility and visibility of the AED, with inadequate signage and challenges identifying an efficient location for access and storage. Most interviewees reported the AED and training were received with no further actions taken towards safety planning or integration with club/facility practice. Several challenges regarding remaining up to date with training and ensuring required routine checks of the AED take place were also raised. Conclusions This study identified several challenges for community sport clubs/facilities in the implementation of an AED and medical planning programme, including where to store the AED, how to make its presence known to the community and how to integrate changes alongside other club/facility practices

Athletes as community; athletes in community: covid-19, sporting mega- events and athlete health protection

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from BMJ Publishing Group via the DOI in this recor

Integrating and maintaining automated external defibrillators and emergency planning in community sport settings: a qualitative case study

Introduction: A voluntary State Government-led programme in Victoria, Australia â € Defibrillators for Sporting Clubs and Facilities Program' ran from 2015 to 2019, broadly aimed at increasing access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs), together with a greater number of community members trained for management of medical emergencies. This study aimed to understand whether participating sport clubs/facilities had successfully integrated an AED and medical planning with other club/facility safety practices, 12 months after delivery of the programme. Methods: This was a qualitative case study of 14 sport clubs/facilities in Victoria, Australia in 2017, underpinned by the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework. We conducted observational audits of facilities (to locate AED placement, signage and other relevant location-specific factors) and semi-structured, face-to-face interviews with representatives of the clubs/facilities. Interview questions were designed to determine if and how the related, mandated emergency management programme was adapted for the long term (embedding), whether this aligned to ongoing organisational mission (active engagement), and whether or not it was still ongoing 6 months postinitial implementation (sustainability). Data were evaluated using qualitative descriptive methodology. For reporting, descriptive summaries of the audit were combined with interview data to contextualise and visualise the sport club/facility setting and key results. Results: Key issues identified were accessibility and visibility of the AED, with inadequate signage and challenges identifying an efficient location for access and storage. Most interviewees reported the AED and training were received with no further actions taken towards safety planning or integration with club/facility practice. Several challenges regarding remaining up to date with training and ensuring required routine checks of the AED take place were also raised. Conclusions: This study identified several challenges for community sport clubs/facilities in the implementation of an AED and medical planning programme, including where to store the AED, how to make its presence known to the community and how to integrate changes alongside other club/facility practices.</p

Gender inclusive sport:a paradigm shift for research, policy, and practice

This commentary develops the concept of gender inclusive sport: sport that is inclusive and affirming of––and safe for––all women and sex and gender minoritized people, regardless of whether their bodies, gender expression, and/or identity align neatly with normative notions of the female/male binary. Debates about the sports participation of transgender (trans) athletes and athletes with natural sex variations often assume a choice between inclusion on one side and fairness on the other, particularly in the context of women’s sport. In this commentary, we instead demonstrate the value of approaching equity and inclusion as allied causes. We offer four principles of Gender Inclusive Sport as an alternative policy and research paradigm: lead with inclusion; de-centre regulatory science; increase access to community and youth sport; and double down on gender equity. Whereas sports studies scholars have often focused on the important work of critiquing the existing regulatory and epistemic practices of sports governing bodies, we call on scholars to also engage in research that expands the knowledge base needed to build change. From the grassroots to the elite level, increasingly, there are opportunities to learn about the best practices and interventions that can support the realisation of Gender Inclusive Sport in practice

Gender inclusive sport:a paradigm shift for research, policy, and practice

This commentary develops the concept of gender inclusive sport: sport that is inclusive and affirming of––and safe for––all women and sex and gender minoritized people, regardless of whether their bodies, gender expression, and/or identity align neatly with normative notions of the female/male binary. Debates about the sports participation of transgender (trans) athletes and athletes with natural sex variations often assume a choice between inclusion on one side and fairness on the other, particularly in the context of women’s sport. In this commentary, we instead demonstrate the value of approaching equity and inclusion as allied causes. We offer four principles of Gender Inclusive Sport as an alternative policy and research paradigm: lead with inclusion; de-centre regulatory science; increase access to community and youth sport; and double down on gender equity. Whereas sports studies scholars have often focused on the important work of critiquing the existing regulatory and epistemic practices of sports governing bodies, we call on scholars to also engage in research that expands the knowledge base needed to build change. From the grassroots to the elite level, increasingly, there are opportunities to learn about the best practices and interventions that can support the realisation of Gender Inclusive Sport in practice