Self-reported concussions increased among US adolescents from 2016 to 2020
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The lifetime prevalence of at least one self-reported concussion increased among U.S. adolescents in the eighth, 10th and 12th grades from 2016 to 2020, according to published results.
Researchers from the University of Michigan used national cross-sectional data from the Monitoring the Future initiative to study a 4-year sample of 52,949 students in the eighth, 10th and 12th grades. Respondents were asked if they ever had a head injury diagnosed as a concussion, to which response options included: “no;” “yes, once;” and “yes, more than once.”
According to the study, researchers performed binary logistic regression analysis to determine trends in participants’ self-reported concussions and controlled for sex, race, ethnicity, grade level, parental education and participation in sports.
Researchers found the lifetime prevalence of participants having at least one self-reported concussion increased from 19.5% in 2016 to 24.6% in 2020. Additionally, the lifetime prevalence of participants reporting just one self-reported concussion increased from 14% in 2016 to 17.7% in 2020, and the lifetime prevalence of participants reporting two or more self-reported concussions increased from 5.5% in 2016 to 6.8% in 2020.
Hispanic and “non-Hispanic Black” adolescents, those whose parents had a high school diploma or less, and those who participated in competitive sports had increases in self-reported concussions, according to the study.
Researchers also noted the results contrasted with ED data that showed a decrease in sports and recreation-related head injuries among adolescents from 2012 to 2018.
“The increase in reporting of concussion could be due to an increased incidence or greater recognition of symptoms associated with these injuries,” the researchers wrote in the study. “Given greater effort to educate the U.S. population regarding the risks associated with head injuries, more adolescents may be seeking care for these injuries, including care from health care professionals outside the emergency department who have appropriate diagnosis and management skills.”
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