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Program Description
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No adolescent should be denied the opportunity to participate in sports because s/he has neither the means to pay for a pre-participation exam or a medical home in which to have such an exam done. With the epidemic proportion of childhood and adolescent obesity in the United States, it is crucial that children and adolescents have the opportunity to engage in activities that promote optimal health. Sports participation is one such activity and should be encouraged in all children and adolescents. All too often, though, young people find barriers to such participation for a number of reasons, one of which is economic. Adolescents, in particular, experience barriers to access health care services because they are thought of as a healthy" population since they've had the numerous scheduled visits and immunizations of early childhood. Additionally, adolescents' emerging independence often makes it difficult for their parents to engage them in dialogue about their health care needs. This proposal - while acknowledging all these barriers as important - seeks to address the economic piece and to bring adolescents into the health care system through making the sports pre-participation exam possible."
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Goals
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1. Identify contact persons at each of the 12 Loudoun County high schools and various religious organizations and meet with each of them to discuss the issue, the program, and garner their support. 2. Provide parents with education regarding what a sports pre-participation exam consists of and how it differs from a health maintenance exam. 3. Establish partnerships with Loudoun County medical practices, medical organizations, and medical professionals.
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