<p>With childhood obesity rates soaring in the United States, the state of Georgia implemented the SHAPE Law (Georgia General Assembly [GGA], 2010). Using FITNESSGRAM? as a means to track student fitness measures and raise parental awareness, this study examined parental understanding of, and response to the fourth- and fifth-grade FITNESSGRAM? Parent Report. A cross-sectional survey of fourth- and fifth-grade parents in a large Georgia suburban school district was conducted to capture parental reactions. Part I included questions about the FITNESSGRAM? Parent Report and Part II, the Modified BASS, included questions about parental barriers to physical activity support. Parent responses came primarily from higher socioeconomic clusters; therefore, few respondents reported any difficulty reading or understanding the FITNESSGRAM? Parent Report. Parent/child conversations were reported by two-thirds of the respondents with most discussing FITNESSGRAM?, the importance of fitness, lifestyle changes, or praise. Agreement with the findings of the FITNESSGRAM? Report was high within this fourth- and fifth-grade parent sample. Parental barriers to physical activity support were relatively low based on a Modified BASS score. However, a principal component analysis provided evidence related to the validity of the interpretations that can be drawn from responses to the barrier questions used in this study from the original BASS Scale. The FITNESSGRAM? Report provides parents with important health-related information about their child?s fitness abilities. The FITNESSGRAM? Report can be a useful tool to start health-related conversations between parents and their children.

<p> This study was the result of a quantitative methods research design, which assessed: athletic training services, injury prevention at the time of the study, and intervention protocols for high schools within the Gateway Athletic Conference (GAC). This study explored the impact of injuries and concussions on student athletes. The study also examined the types of athletic training facilities, resources for rehabilitation, and procedures for athletic training programs available at the high school level in the GAC. The study uncovered some significant findings between the groups who were surveyed. The participants surveyed represented athletic trainers, athletic directors, and coaches. There were differences in how these groups viewed emergency care procedures, injury policies, and protocols. The differences ranged from views of job descriptions, written policies and procedures for emergency transportation, reporting and submitting accident reports, and regular review of the effectiveness of athletic training services. The groups did agree on most legal duties and responsibilities, general policies and procedures, injury management protocol and procedures, training room facilities, and operation questions. Blood-borne pathogens were an area in which notable improvement is needed, and there were some concerns with some of the data reporting injury statistics. Overall, the participants agreed with one another, but there were some differences throughout the study, as reported in this dissertation.</p>