Effectiveness of an Educational Program in Health Promotion and Injury Prevention for Freshman Music Majors

Abstract

The purpose of this program evaluation was to examine the effectiveness of an educational course in health promotion and injury prevention designed specifically for college music majors. Course content included the provision of information on medical problems commonly seen in musicians, effective health promotion and preventive strategies, and application of this knowledge to music playing and other daily occupations. Students were taught how to assess risk for potential injury for themselves and their future students. Course content and self-assessment questionnaires aimed at assessing the students' use of health and injury prevention measures were administered before the start of the course, immediately after course completion, and 6 weeks later. The outcomes indicated that students improved in their overall knowledge of the content covered in this educational module and that this increased knowledge was retained 6 weeks later. Interestingly, self-perceived application of health promotion and injury prevention strategies did not improve significantly at the completion of the course but did so 6 weeks later, possibly indicating that behavior change takes longer to incorporate into one's daily routine. Literature suggests that such education programs have benefited performing artists, and these results indicate the efficacy of this type of educational program within an academic curriculum for student musicians. In addition, this program illustrates the role of the occupational therapist as a consultant and educator in the practice of performing arts medicine.