Adult Perception of a Child’s Sport Concussion Risk

Abstract

PURPOSE: With increased media coverage on sport-related concussions (SRC), there has been a growing concern about the risks associated with contact sports. Previous literature reports a decrease in participation numbers stemming from increased perception of concussion risk in contact sports such as football. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of adult profession and perception of their child’s concussion risk while participating in contact sports. We hypothesized that adults with a medical background would be more educated about the consequences of SRC, and thus would be less inclined to choose high-contact sports participation for their own children compared to those without medical backgrounds. METHODS: Data were collected through an anonymous electronic Qualtrics survey administered to faculty and staff at a large midwest university and associated medical center between 2017 to 2018 (n=5849, age=39.519 ± 13.802 years). Respondents indicated their gender, age, highest degree awarded, whether or not they were a medical professional, and in what sports they would allow their children to participate. Sports were subdivided into four categories (high-contact, partial-contact, non-contact, and all of the above) and analyzed using chi-square tests, followed by a logistic regression to investigate any differences between professional categories and rate of selection of high-contact sports. RESULTS: Preliminary chi-square tests indicated no difference between medical (MP) and non-medical professionals (NMP) and the four sport subdivisions (x2=5.58, p=0.23). Between-group nominal logistic regression was non-significant (p=0.20) in examining the effect of profession and selection of sports. More specifically, there was insignificance between professions and likelihood of choosing high-contact sports (p=0.092). CONCLUSION: Initial analyses suggest no difference in the choice of sport participation among children with parents in medical and non-medical backgrounds despite an increased attention on concussion in recent years. Future analyses will investigate the specific sports chosen, as well as additional covariates such as parental sport participation and concussion history.