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Background:Telemedicine use dramatically increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the effects of telemedicine on pre-existing disparities in pediatric surgical access have not been well described. We describe our center's early experience with telemedicine and disparities in patients' access to outpatient surgical care. Methods:A retrospective study of outpatient visits within all surgical divisions from May to December 2020 was conducted. We assessed the rates of scheduled telemedicine visits during that period, as well as the rate of completing a visit after it has been scheduled. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were used to test for associations between these rates and patient characteristics. Results:Over the study period, 109,601 visits were scheduled. Telemedicine accounted for 6.1% of all visits with lower cancellation rates than in-person visits (26.9% vs. 34.7%). More scheduled telemedicine encounters were observed for older patients, White, English speakers, those with private insurance, and those living in rural areas. Lower odds of telemedicine visit completion were observed among patients with public insurance (odds ratio [OR] 0.7, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.64–0.77), Spanish language preference (OR 0.84, 95% CI 0.72–0.97), and those living in rural areas (OR 0.73, 95% CI 0.64–0.84). In contrast, higher odds of telemedicine visit completion were associated with a higher Social Deprivation Index score (OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.27–1.58). Telemedicine visit completion was also associated with increasing community-level income and distance from the hospital. Conclusions:Telemedicine use for outpatient surgical care was generally low during the peak of the pandemic, and certain populations were less likely to utilize it. These findings call for further action to bridge gaps in telemedicine use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The U.S. Center for SafeSport (SafeSport) was founded to prevent sexual abuse in sport and provide educational training around abuse prevention. According to SafeSport's centralized disciplinary database, 80 USA Wrestling coaches have been listed as ineligible, suspended, restricted, or permanently ineligible from 2005 to 2023. This case study sought to examine wrestling coaches' perspectives on SafeSport and its effectiveness in preventing sexual abuse in the sport of wrestling. Twelve wrestling coaches participated in semi-structured interviews and described the effectiveness of SafeSport, how SafeSport should be enforced, and strategies to successfully implement SafeSport. Participants indicated the value of Sa feSport to bring awareness and mitigate sexual abuse in the sport of wrestling, but also suggested that the level of reporting ambiguity and lack of pursuance upon filing a report contributed to perceptions of SafeSport's ineffectiveness. Recommendations for the future implementation and effectiveness of SafeSport are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From 1973 to 2020 there were 174 judges involved in 116 federal court cases in which the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) was a party. Sixty-three percent of these cases resulted in a ruling favorable to the NCAA. Within this research setting, this study catalogued these judges' backgrounds and experiences (e.g., birthplace, undergraduate institution[s] attended) to see if there were any discernible patterns or commonalities. While this study does not make any claims of causation or correlation, it does - given the importance placed on collegiate athletics in American society - pose the question: "Does identity formation and identity protection cognition shed light on judicial decisions during a time in which society's views of college sport and amateurism underwent dramatic changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The shared use of school recreational facilities holds the potential to offer activity opportunities for many people, especially those in low-income, minority, and under-resourced communities. School facilities are usually easily accessible and offer safe, free or low cost, and convenient recreation and sport opportunities. However, a number of barriers--including fear of liability, maintenance issues, vandalism and crime concerns, scheduling conflicts, and costs of operation--exist that are keeping facilities from being shared. The purpose of this article is to discuss the benefits of shared use of school recreational facilities with partner organizations and to provide examples of such partnerships, potential barriers, and recommendations for addressing challenges. (Contains 3 tables.)

Existentialism and social contract deontology can serve as a philosophical lens to understand past sport management ethical decisions. Human existence, meaning, and societal standing are examined in the ethical theory of existentialism. In layman’s terms, the theory of deontology is grounded in the overall act of doing the right thing. Existentialism is behavior based on what is authentic and original to oneself (Malloy et. al, 2003). This theory in practice article examines existential and deontological based decisions in recent sport management history and in the early 20th century. Specifically, the article analyzes the 1932 Olympics, 2017 NBA All Star Game, 2021 MLB All Star game, and regular season college football games that were significantly affected by natural disasters. The moral significance for individuals and society is also addressed in the analysis of the cases for all persons will make ethical decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumer behavior studies in the context of sports have been used to examine (a) why subjects consume a sport (Funk, Mahony, & Ridinger, 2002; Wann, Grieve, Zapalac, & Pease, 2008); (b) the process of market segmentation such as examination of consumption by way of sex (Trail, Robinson, & Kim, 2008), gender (Wann & Waddill, 2003), single game attendees and season ticket holders (Funk, Ridinger, & Moorman, 2003); and (c) influence on intended future consumption behavior (e.g., Andrew, Kim, O'Neal, Greenwell, & James, 2009; By on et al., 2011; Byon et al. 2010). To date, most research in this area has neglected the disability sport context. The purpose of this study is to utilize the only existing disability sport scale, the Motivation Scale for Disability Sport Consumption (MSDSC; Cottingham et al., 2012), to identify the motives salient in predicting intended future consumption behaviors, specifically repatronage intentions, future media consumption, and future merchandise purchases. Data were collected form 470 spectators at the Collegiate Wheelchair Basketball Championships held in Arlington Texas. Three multiple regression analyses were conducted, to determine the significance of each of the factors identified in the MSDSC in predicting the outcome variables of repatronage intentions, intended merchandise consumption, and intended media consumption. Results indicated that four motives were significant predictors of all three outcome variables, specifically, acquisition of knowledge, escape, physical skill and social interaction. This research will directly benefit practitioners, such as disability sport organizations, who are interested in expanding their marketing base yet lack the resources for formal marketing departments (IPC, 2010)., Miles Thompson, head coach of the University of Alabama wheelchair basketball team, stated that 'the biggest reason we don't have enough [collegiate wheelchair basketball] teams are budgetary constraints' (personal communication, [...]

The implementation of Title IX brought hope and infinite possibilities for women in sport; however, less than half of women's athletic teams are coached by women. Women in sport often face discrimination and harassment, and this population often receive less compensation than their male counterparts. Informed by equity theory, the purpose of this study was to examine potential gender discrimination in Division II basketball. Division II Head Men's and Women's Basketball Coaches (N=74) were administered a modified version of the General Ethnic Discrimination Scale (GEDS). The results indicated that Division II coaches felt they were treated unfairly based on gender (p = .008), as female head coaches reported feelings of discrimination. Considering the findings of the present study, the NCAA and its member institutions should promote inclusive hiring practices and assist athletic departments in programming that promotes gender equity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: Congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS) is a rare autonomic disorder with altered regulation of breathing, heart rate (HR), and blood pressure (BP). Aberrant cerebral oxygenation in response to hypercapnia/hypoxia in CCHS raises the concern that altered cerebral autoregulation may contribute to CCHS-related, variably impaired neurodevelopment. Objectives: To evaluate cerebral autoregulation in response to orthostatic challenge in CCHS cases versus controls. Methods: CCHS and age- and sex-matched control subjects were studied with head-up tilt (HUT) testing to induce orthostatic stress. Fifty CCHS and 100 control HUT recordings were included. HR, BP, and cerebral oxygen saturation (regional oxygen saturation) were continuously monitored. The cerebral oximetry index (COx), a real-time measure of cerebral autoregulation based on these measures, was calculated. Measurements and Main Results: HUT resulted in a greater mean BP decrease from baseline in CCHS versus controls (11% vs. 6%; P < 0.05) and a diminished increase in HR in CCHS versus controls (11% vs. 18%; P < 0.01) in the 5 minutes after tilt-up. Despite a similar COx at baseline, orthostatic provocation within 5 minutes of tilt-up caused a 50% greater increase in COx (P < 0.01) and a 29% increase in minutes of impaired autoregulation (P < 0.02) in CCHS versus controls (4.0 vs. 3.1 min). Conclusions: Cerebral autoregulatory mechanisms appear to be intact in CCHS, but the greater hypotension observed in CCHS consequent to orthostatic provocation is associated with greater values of COx/impaired autoregulation when BP is below the lower limits of autoregulation. Effects of repeated orthostatic challenges in everyday living in CCHS necessitate further study to determine their influence on neurodevelopmental disease burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]