Injury Prevention & Wellness Promotion Flashcards

When screening for sickle cell trait in collegiate athletes, which activity scenario poses the GREATEST risk for sudden death?

Answer: Sustained high-intensity sprinting drills in heat and altitude

Maximal exertion, particularly in heat and altitude, triggers sickling of red blood cells in sickle cell trait carriers, causing vascular occlusion and collapse.

A swimmer complains of shoulder pain that increases with overhead lifting. Postural assessment reveals a forward head and rounded shoulders. Which corrective focus is MOST appropriate?

Answer: Stretching the posterior capsule and strengthening scapular retractors

Forward head and rounded shoulder posture create scapular dyskinesis; stretching the posterior capsule and activating scapular retractors restores proper glenohumeral mechanics.

Which principle of wellness promotion does the PRECEDE-PROCEED model BEST represent?

Answer: Health behavior is influenced by predisposing, enabling, and reinforcing factors

The PRECEDE-PROCEED model recognizes that predisposing (knowledge/attitudes), enabling (skills/resources), and reinforcing (feedback/social support) factors all shape health behavior.

A basketball team's injury log shows that 70% of lower-extremity injuries occur in the last 10 minutes of each half. Which prevention strategy MOST directly targets this pattern?

Answer: Addressing fatigue-related neuromuscular deficits through conditioning and substitution protocols

Fatigue degrades neuromuscular control and landing mechanics; improving late-game conditioning capacity and adjusting substitution timing directly targets this injury cluster.

Which environmental condition requires the MOST conservative modification to outdoor practice schedules according to NATA heat index guidelines?

Answer: Temperature 80°F, relative humidity 90%

High humidity severely impairs evaporative cooling; 80°F with 90% humidity can produce a heat index exceeding danger thresholds more than 95°F with low humidity.

During a wellness presentation on tobacco use, an athletic trainer learns that 15% of the baseball team uses smokeless tobacco. Which health risk is MOST important to communicate?

Answer: Oral cancer, gum disease, and nicotine addiction

Smokeless tobacco directly contacts oral mucosa and significantly increases the risk of oral and pharyngeal cancers, periodontal disease, and nicotine dependence.

Which screening tool is MOST appropriate for identifying athletes at risk for sudden cardiac death due to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy during pre-participation exams?

Answer: History and physical examination using AHA 14-element screening

The AHA recommends a 14-element personal and family history plus physical examination as the standard pre-participation cardiovascular screening tool to identify HCM risk factors.