Objectives: To determine the value student-athletes place on the preparticipation physical examination (PPE) in ensuring safe participation and to determine whether these athletes would accept a station-based PPE that emphasizes health-related issues.
Design: Survey.
Setting: Athletic departments of 2 small southeastern colleges.
Participants: Population of student-athletes enrolled in these colleges.
Main outcome measures: Athletes' views on the necessity of the PPE to ensure safe participation in athletics, willingness to pay a fee for the currently free examination, appropriateness of the PPE as a setting for counseling by physicians regarding age-specific health screening issues, and PPE as the only routine health maintenance contact with a physician during the year.
Results: A majority of athletes (66%) believed they could safely participate in athletics and avoid severe injuries or death and minor injuries without undergoing a PPE. Most athletes believed the PPE prevents or helps to prevent both major (89%) and minor (76%) injuries. Male and female respondents would not be uncomfortable with a physician or other health care provider asking questions regarding health-related issues. However, many athletes (especially women) believed that the PPE is not a place for specific questions (questions related to sexual activity and health, eating disorders, smoking, and personal and family use of alcohol).
Conclusions: Most student-athletes do not see a value of the PPE in regard to safe athletic participation; most athletes believe that the PPE prevents or helps to prevent injuries when there is no clear evidence to support this assumption; and athletes are receptive to most preventive health screening, but do not feel comfortable with certain issues being raised (i.e., gynecologic health, eating disorders, and alcohol and nicotine use). With specific modifications aimed toward the needs and comfort level of the student-athlete, the PPE may provide an opportunity to present health-related education and counseling by means of unique and innovative materials to a group of adolescents and young adults.