Cultural Practices and the Impact of Vitamin D on Health and Performance in the Secondary School Setting


This is an encore presentation from NATA 2022 in Philadelphia, offering a second chance to experience the event's valuable content and insights.

Abstract:
To provide appropriate medical care for secondary school athletes, athletic trainers should educate athletes on nutrition, hydration, dietary supplementation. Vitamin D is an important factor in the overall health of athletes. Vitamin D deficiency is common, especially among ethnically diverse athletes. Increasing knowledge on Vitamin D deficiency and sufficiency can help athletic trainers educate athletes on the significance of Vitamin D with injury prevention and athletic performance. Cultural competence is essential for providing patient centered care. Cultural practices, traditions, and religion can intersect with athletic training. Athletic trainers can navigate medical considerations with traditional and western worlds.

Learning Objectives:

  • Discuss vitamin D and the impact of deficiency within ethnically diverse patients
  • Review the sources and benefits of vitamin D
  • Identify the latest research and ways to integrate vitamin D in the secondary school setting
  • Discuss culture, tradition, and religion and their impact on athletic training practices
  • Identify appropriate behavior and expectations when working with student-athletes and coaches who identify as “fa’afafine”

Level:
Essential

Domain(s):
Domain 1: Risk Reduction Wellness and Health Literacy 

CEUs:
1.0 Category A

Keywords: cultural competence, patient-centered care, vitamin D, nutrition, deficiency, DEIA, secondary school, ethnically diverse

Florence Wasko, MS, ATC

Florence Wasko has been a certified athletic trainer for the American Samoa Department of Education for over 10 years. Florence oversees all ASDOE sports that cover 9  schools and their student-athletes, created standards of care and concussion protocols for Athletic Division, and is responsible for injury care, prevention, diagnosis, and rehabilitation of all sports injuries sustained by ASDOE student-athletes.

Mark D'Anza, MEd, LAT, ATC

Mark D'Anza, MEd, LAT, ATC, serves a variety of roles in his home state of Nevada. He works for the Clark County School District as an AED Project Facilitator, teaches as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, works as an athletic trainer for Dignity Health Physical Therapy and is the lead AT Spotter in Las Vegas for the National Football League. Mark serves on the Sports Medicine Advisory Committee in Nevada. As a member of the Far West Athletic Trainers’ Association, Mark is the Secondary School Athletic Trainers’ Committee Chair and a member of the Scholarships Committee and the Ethnic Diversity Advisory Committee.

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