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307430
Exploring gender differences in rates of concussions and traumatic brain injuries in 14 commonly-played sports: A descriptive epidemiological analysis
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
: 5:00 PM - 5:15 PM
There is limited research to date that explores gender differences in rates of emergency department (ED) visits for sports-related concussions and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) nationally among children. The purpose of this research is to determine if there are differences in the rates of ED visits for concussions between male and female athletes ages 19 and under across multiple sports. Data was queried from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System for cases of children ages 19 and under seen in emergency departments for injuries resulting from 14 commonly-played sports between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2012. There were an estimated 1,353,753 visits for sports-related injuries among children ages 19 and under. Of these, there were 163,608 visits for concussions and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). Concussions/TBIs accounted for 12.1% (95% CI: 10.9%, 13.4%) of ED visits for these sports. As a proportion of injuries, females were most often seen for concussions resulting from soccer (17.0% of all injuries) and cheerleading (15.8%). Males were most often seen for concussions from lacrosse (15.7%) and football (15.0%). The proportion of girls requiring hospitalization following a concussion was 5.5 times higher than the proportion of visits for other kinds of sports-related injuries. In comparison, the proportion of boys hospitalized following a sports related concussion was 1.8 times higher than for visits for other kinds of injuries. Sports in which girls participate such as cheerleading and soccer should include concussion prevention and awareness, in addition to other sports injury prevention strategies.
Learning Areas:
Epidemiology
Learning Objectives:
Describe differences in the rates of emergency department visits for concussions between male and female athletes ages 19 and under.
Keyword(s): Children and Adolescents
Presenting author's disclosure statement:Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have worked in the field of childhood injury for almost five years, as a researcher and as an educator. I am currently an injury epidemiologist at Safe Kids Worldwide, a non-profit focused on reducing preventable childhood injuries. I previously worked at the National Capital Poison Center as an educator and program associate.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines,
and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed
in my presentation.
