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Abstract #150822

Ruth L. Carrico, PhD¹, Tiffany Cross, MPH², Matthew Zahn, MD³, Richard Miller, PhD⁴, Shauna Weis, MS⁵, Jonathan Carrico, BS⁵, and Andrew S. LaJoie, PhD². (1) Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences, University of Louisville School of Public Health and Information Sciences, K Wing rm 4042, 555 S. Floyd Street, Louisville, KY 40202, 5028523992, ruth.carrico@louisville.edu, (2) Health Knowledge and Cognitive Sciences, University of Louisville School of Public Health and Information Sciences, K Wing rm 4042, 555 S. Floyd Street, Louisville, KY 40202, (3) Medical Director, Louisville Metro Health Department, 400 East Gray Street, Communicable Diseases Branch, Louisville, KY 40202, (4) Microbiology, University of Louisville, Health Sciences Center, Louisville, KY 40292, (5) Environmental Safety Technologies, 1815 Brownsboro Road, Suite 200, Louisville, KY 40206

Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) disease as well as other transmissible infections represent a demonstrated risk among high school, college, and professional athletes. Addressing this issue requires a process that includes assessment, intervention, and evaluation and involves collaboration between public health, academia, and business expertise. We developed a program to evaluate the Athletic Departments at two Universities located in a large mid-western city. A questionnaire was developed and administered to over 600 male and female athletes participating on football, soccer, baseball, softball, basketball, tennis or lacrosse teams in order to identify current knowledge and attitudes regarding MRSA, transmission opportunities, and personal hygiene practices. Athletic trainers for those teams were also assessed. An assessment tool was developed to guide environmental evaluation of the practice, training, shower, medical and laundry facilities and assisted in identifying targeted areas for improvement. Using results from the questionnaire and environmental evaluation, education sessions were held for these teams that provided specific information regarding infection transmission and practices the athletes should adopt in order to prevent infection and transmission associated with participation in athletics. Results of those assessments and feedback during the education sessions further guided the development of interventions specific to the needs of the athletes and the Universities. Our program demonstrates the need to further develop standards and elements of performance that can be used by all athletic facilities as MRSA, as well as other transmissible infections, continue to impact this population.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the epidemiology of CA-MRSA among athletes
• Review an intervention process that was guided by knowledge and hygiene assessment of the athletes and evaluation of the athletic environment
• Describe the collaboration between public health, academia, and business in development of a comprehensive prevention strategy

Keywords: Health Education, Infectious Diseases

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.