Kevin Nguyen,1 Ryan Nakamura,1 Natalie Toma,2 Kendal Nakaoka,3 Emma O’Keefe,3 Tyson Wu,4 Seth Heller,5 Jennifer McQueeny,6 Erin Evangelista,1 Mitch Cadiz,1 Chathura Siriwardhana,1 Yone-Kawe Lin,1 Matthew Kao,1 Janette Bow-Keola,1 Tyrone-John Sumibcay,1 Kore Liow,1,7 Enrique Carrazana1
1 John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaiʻi, Honolulu, HI
2 University of Southern California, Los Angeles, LA
3 University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI
4 San Jose State University, San Jose, CA
5 American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine, Sint Maarten
6 University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR
7 Memory Dis Center Alz Research Unit, Hawaii Pacific Neuroscience, Honolulu HI
Background: Concussion, a mild traumatic brain injury subtype, is typically caused by direct or indirect head trauma, resulting in transient neurological dysfunction. Young adults are frequent users of social media, which may act as a source of health education or misinformation. This study evaluated concussion knowledge, attitudes, and the influence of social media among young adults.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was distributed electronically and in person to undergraduate and graduate students meeting age and education criteria. Variables included demographics, concussion education, prior diagnosis, symptom history, attitudes toward reporting, and perceived social media reliability. Analyses compared Athletes vs. Non-Athletes, Health/Natural/Behavioral science (HNB) majors vs. non-HNB majors, and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander (NHOPI) participants vs. matched Caucasian peers.
Results: Among 202 respondents, athletes reported significantly higher rates of formal concussion education (p < 0.000001), prior diagnosis (p = 0.003), and symptom history (p = 0.0026) but were less likely to report concussions (p = 0.022). Athletes, HNB majors, and NHOPI participants trended toward lower trust in social media for concussion information, though differences were not statistically significant. Reddit, Instagram, and Twitter users had higher mean concussion knowledge scores than users of other platforms, without significance. No significant differences were found between NHOPI and matched Caucasian participants.
Conclusions
Athletes demonstrated greater concussion exposure and knowledge, yet reported symptoms less frequently, indicating persistent underreporting despite education. These findings underscore the need for targeted educational strategies to address reporting barriers. Further research should evaluate platform-specific social media approaches to improve concussion awareness while reducing misinformation.
