One out of every five teens in the US have experienced a concussion, and 5.5% have experienced more than one, suggests a study published recently in JAMA. Playing contact sports is a possible cause, the researchers note.
In the study, Phil Veliz, a researcher at the Institute for Research on Women and Gender, and colleagues from the University of Michigan (U-M) analyzed data from more than 13,088 adolescents in the 2016 Monitoring the Future survey, a national study by U-M funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse that tracks US students in grades 8, 10 and 12.
Students were asked: “Have you ever had a head injury that was diagnosed as a concussion?” They also indicated if they played at least one of 21 different sports.
The findings showed that 19.5% reported at least one diagnosed concussion in their lifetime, which was consistent with regional studies and with emergency department reports stating contact sports are a leading cause of concussion among teens, according to a media release from the University of Michigan.
Several factors associated with a higher lifetime prevalence of reporting a diagnosed concussion, according to the study, include being male, white in a higher grade, and participating in competitive sports.
“Greater effort to track concussions using large-scale epidemiological data are needed to identify high-risk subpopulations and monitor prevention efforts,” the researchers write, per the release.
[Source(s): University of Michigan, Science Daily]
