ABSTRACT

Objective: Although the annual number of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) reported in the US exceeds two million, data suggests that this is an underestimate. The goal of this study was to understand lifetime TBI incidence among a sample of college students. Additionally, this study examined whether a single yes/no question regarding TBI history was sufficient to gather accurate information about TBI incidence in college students.

Design: Participants were asked a single TBI question and administered the BAT-LQ.

Main Measures: The BAT-LQ is a screening tool designed to assess for probable lifetime TBIs.

Results: Data from 121 participants were analyzed for this study. On the single-question, 24.8% of participants reported experiencing a TBI. However, upon further prompting, 76.8% of all participants reported experiencing a blow to the head accompanied by at least one diagnostic symptom of a TBI, suggesting a probable TBI based on best-practice diagnosis guidelines.

Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that increased education about TBI is warranted to ensure that individuals receive care for probable TBIs, as many individuals likely lack knowledge about what constitutes a TBI diagnosis. Additionally, the results suggest that a single question may not be sufficient to capture true lifetime TBI incidence.

摘要

目标：尽管美国每年报告的脑外伤 (TBI) 数量超过 200 万，但数据表明这是一个低估。本研究的目的是了解大学生样本中终生 TBI 的发病率。此外，这项研究检查了关于 TBI 历史的单个是/否问题是否足以收集有关大学生 TBI 发病率的准确信息。

设计：参与者被问到一个单一的 TBI 问题并执行 BAT-LQ。

主要措施：BAT-LQ 是一种筛选工具，旨在评估可能的终生 TBI。

结果：本研究分析了 121 名参与者的数据。在单一问题上，24.8% 的参与者报告经历了 TBI。然而，在进一步提示后，76.8% 的参与者报告头部受到打击并伴有至少一种 TBI 诊断症状，这表明基于最佳实践诊断指南的可能是 TBI。

结论：这项研究的结果表明，有必要加强关于 TBI 的教育，以确保个人接受可能的 TBI 护理，因为许多人可能缺乏有关 TBI 诊断的知识。此外，结果表明，单个问题可能不足以捕获真实的终生 TBI 发病率。