Athletic Trainers' Attitudes and Perceptions of Environmental Sustainability

Abstract

Context: Environmental sustainability efforts are becoming a critical concern in health care. However, little is known regarding how athletic trainers feel about the environment or what can be done to reduce the environmental impact of the practice of athletic training.

Objective: To examine athletic trainers' attitudes toward and perceptions of factors related to environmental sustainability.

Design: Sequential, mixed methods using a survey, focus groups, and personal interviews.

Setting: Field study.

Patients or other participants: Four hundred forty-two individuals completed the survey. Sixteen participated in the qualitative portion.

Main outcome measure(s): Quantitative results from the Athletic Training Environmental Impact Survey included data from a 5-point Likert scale (1 = lowest rating and 5 = highest rating). Descriptive statistics and 1-way analyses of variance were used to describe perceptions and determine differences in mean opinion, National Athletic Trainers' Association district, and use of green techniques. Qualitative data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed inductively.

Results: The mean score for opinion of the environment was 3.30 ± 0.52. A difference was found between opinion and National Athletic Trainers' Association district ( F_{9, 429} = 2.43, P = .01). A Bonferroni post hoc analysis identified this difference ( P = .03) between members of District 2 (Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania) and District 9 (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee). An inductive analysis resulted in 3 emergent themes: (1) barriers to using green techniques, (2) motivators for using green techniques, and (3) solutions to overcoming the barriers. The information gleaned from participants in the qualitative portion of the study can be useful for clinicians wishing to implement basic conservation efforts in their practice settings and may guide future sustainability projects.

Conclusions: Overall, participants reported a positive opinion of environmental sustainability topics related to athletic training. However, many barriers to practicing green techniques were identified.

Keywords: conservation; green health care.