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developed to help with auditing their sport injury prevention be analysed when data collection is completed in June
programmes. 2009.
doi:10.1016/j.jsams.2009.10.113 doi:10.1016/j.jsams.2009.10.114
113 114
Extending the reach of SportSmart: A survey of ACC Expert opinion on principles and performance indicators
claimants engaged in organised and non-organised sport- for safety management systems in community sporting
ing and recreational activity organisations
B. McNoe , M. Purnell, D. Chalmers A. Donaldson 1, , C. Finch 1 , M. Middleton 2 , D. Borys 1
Prevention Research Unit, University Of Otago 1 University of Ballarat
2 Sport and Recreation Victoria
Introduction: New Zealands Accident Compensation
Corporations (ACC) have traditionally targeted organised Introduction: Community sporting organisations (CSO)
sports and recreational activity. SportSmart is a generic injury constantly make risk management decisions but few adopt
prevention programme aimed at organised sport. Individ- a systematic approach when doing so. Safety management
ual programmes based on this model have been developed systems (SMS) are central to occupational health and safety
for a number of high risk, high cost sports and recre- (OH&S) yet they have received little sports injury prevention
ational activities, in association with the relevant national attention. This project sought and coalesced expert opinion
sporting organisations (NSOs). ACCs injury prevention about key principles and related performance indicators for
messages and programmes are delivered to this audience SMS in CSOs.
primarily through coaches and direct contact with partic- Methods: A three-round online Delphi consultation was
ipants. However, not all sport and recreational activity is used with sports injury prevention (n = 12), OH&S manage-
carried out under the auspices of an NSO. Delivering injury ment system (n = 8), and community sports administration
prevention messages and programmes to participants in (n = 9) experts. Experts commented on and suggested
non-organised, informal or social sporting and recre- changes inclusions and exclusions to an initial set of 5 prin-
ational activity is a challenge. Many of these participants ciples (Commitment and policy; Planning; Implementation;
cannot be reached by means of ACCs traditional injury Measurement and evaluation; and Review and improvement)
prevention delivery agents (e.g. coaches). One of the main and 47 indicators (based on the Australian Standard AS/NZS
barriers to extending the reach of injury prevention mes- 4801:2001) (Round 1). The experts then rated each revised
sages, to include these participants, is a lack of knowledge indicator on a 5-point scale-from not at all important to
about the demographic and behavioural characteristics of this essential - according to how important it was as a reflec-
group. tion of the related SMS principle in CSOs (Round 2). They
Methods: Data is currently being collected by a telephone also commented on why they gave an indicator a particular
survey of 2000 ACC claimants aged 16 years of age and older, rating. The experts received a summary of Round 2 responses
making new entitlement claims for two team sports (football and again rated indicator importance (Round 3). They also
and netball) and two individual recreational activities (eques- rated the feasibility of CSOs being able to satisfactorily meet
trian and cycling). The interview period will be 12 months each indicator on a 4-point scale from very difficult to very
to allow for seasonal variation. The nominated sports and easy.
recreational activities were determined through consultation Results: The qualitative feedback from the 27 experts in
with ACC and examination of claim statistics. Considera- Round 1 indicated that the five initially identified principles
tion was given to sports targeted by ACC, the preferences of reflected the core requirements of SMS in CSOs. The initial
ACC, the annual number of claimants and the estimated sam- set of 47 indicators was modified and expanded to 64 based
ple sizes required to achieve acceptable levels of statistical on Round 1 responses. In Round 2, >75% of the 24 experts
precision. gave 35 of the 64 indicators a rating of very important
Results/Conclusions: To date approximately 1500 inter- or essential. In Round 3, having reflected on the Round 2
views have been completed with a response rate of 81%. results, >75% of the 21 experts gave 57 indicators a rating of
Preliminary results indicate that injuries occurring in social very important or essential. In round 3, >50% of experts
or non-organised setting contribute a sizeable propor- rated 34 of the 64 indicators as relatively difficult or very
tion of the overall injury burden in sport and recreation difficult for CSOs to meet.
and the proportion varies considerably by sporting disci- Conclusions: Experts in this Delphi consultation agreed
pline. Seasonal variation is an important component in the that the SMS principles used in OH&S are also relevant
determination of organised/non organised activity. For this to CSOs. They also agreed that most of the SMS indica-
reason, the final data has not been presented here but will tors developed in this study are at least very important but
e56 Abstracts / Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport 12 (2010) e1e232