The Effect of a Brief, Web-Based Animated Video for Improving Comprehension and Implementation Feasibility for Reducing Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury: A Three-Arm Randomized Controlled Trial

Neuromuscular injury prevention training (IPT) has been shown to reduce anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury risk by approximately 50%, but the implementation rate is low. One of the most important modifiable barriers for implementation is coaches’ comprehension of risk and intervention strategies. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a brief, web-based, animated video on ACL injury prevention comprehension and IPT implementation feasibility. Coaches in landing and cutting sports were recruited and randomized into three groups. (1) Intervention: brief multimedia animated video about ACL injury and prevention. (2) Active control: commonly accessed, text-based web resource about ACL injury and prevention. (3) Placebo control: brief multimedia video about concussions. Overall ACL comprehension—composed of basic ACL knowledge, risk knowledge, prevention knowledge, and severity knowledge—as well as implementation feasibility were all measured prior to and immediately following the interventions. Overall ACL comprehension improved the most in the animated video group (Cohen’s d = 0.86) and, to a lesser degree, in the active control web-based article group (Cohen’s d = 0.39). Both video and web-based article groups had greater implementation feasibility compared to the control group (p = 0.01). Overall, these initial results suggest that a brief, web-based, animated video has the potential to be a superior method for informing stakeholders in order to reduce traumatic injuries in sport.