Perceived Compliance of High School Athletic Trainers with NATA Heat Illness Prevention Guidelines

Abstract

Exertional heat illness is the leading cause of death among high school athletes across the United States. Numerous organizations, such as the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) have developed recommendations for athletic trainers and other healthcare providers to assist in preventing and managing heat-related illness. Although these recommendations are available to all athletic trainers, many cases of heat illness continue to occur each year. The purpose of this study was to determine the compliance of high school athletic trainers with the current NATA recommendations for heat illness prevention. One hundred and eighty three high school athletic trainers across the U.S. completed a survey regarding their levels of compliance with varying components of the recommended guidelines. No participants responded as complying with every guideline. This lack of compliance may have a negative affect on preventing heat-related illness in athletes, however future studies need to be completed to determine the necessity and effectiveness of these guidelines.