Recently, there has been more and more concern about the increasing amount of concussions happening in sports. Most people see concussions happening in high impact sports when a player hits their head against another player or against some other object, but usually it doesn’t seem to be extreme injury. From the sidelines, a concussion might not seem like a very big deal, but recently, there have been studies that show the long term effects of concussions.
According to an article written by Fox News, a single concussion may have a lasting impact on the brain and can result in long term structural damage. The study comes from the New York University Langone School of Medicine. They found that patients who have suffered from a concussion or mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) obtained significant damage in portions of their brains a year after the injury. In many sports, when a player has a concussion, they might not show all of the symptoms and can even be allowed to play right away or soon after the injury takes place. Even though it may not appear to be a serious injury, this study shows that more damage can occur than initially diagnosed.
Dr. Yvonne Lui is the neuroradiology section chief and assistant professor of radiology at NYU. She says “Many patients experience symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, memory problems, and even depression or anxiety. Sometimes, these side effects last for months – and sometimes years.” These statistics effect many health researchers, sporting events, athletes and the public, all of which need to be made aware of the hazards of a concussion.
Situational theory says that the public can be identified and classified in the context to which they are aware of the problem and to the extent to which they do something about the problem. I believe that this study is using situational theory in there public relations campaign to inform the public about the long term affects that can be related to a single concussion. The first part of situational theory is problem recognition. The news article is clearly trying to inform the public that concussions should be taken more seriously and that more medical studies should be done. By using the media, NYU is presenting the problem to the public to consider. The next part of situational theory is constraint recognition. Constraint recognition is the extent that individuals see that their behaviors as limited by factors beyond their control. This can be seen through the study from athletes themselves. Concussions in sports have become a big concern from many athletes around the world. “The finding comes to light at the same time as 4,000 former football players file lawsuits alleging that the National Football League failed to protect them from the long-term health consequences of concussion.” Study’s like these empower athletes to ask questions and to raise awareness about concussions in the sports they play. The final variable in situational theory is level of involvement. When it comes to targeting the athletes themselves, involvement in the problem can become very large. With all of the risk factors involved, athletes are becoming more aware of their safety and health. The public is also targeted to try and make changes in things like safety gear, prevention and health treatments to make sure that the sports they enjoy are safe.
I think that this campaign does a good job at using situational theory in their public relations campaign. They are able to present the problem to be recognized, show the public how their actions can affect the problem and how they can become involved for a solution. Sports fans use the media to keep up on sporting events including games, injuries, scores and any news related to the sport. By using media to present their findings, they have presented the argument and findings for their target audience to consume and think about.
Sources:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/256518.php
http://www.mylittletonhospital.org/long-term-effects-of-concussions
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/03/12/single-concussion-can-cause-lasting-damage-to-brain-study-finds/