GENDER DIFFERENCES IN REPORTED RECOVERY TIME FROM SPORTS-RELATED CONCUSSION IN DUAL GENDER SPORTS FROM 2012-2017

Abstract

Background:Sport-related concussion (SRC) is one of the leading injuries among athletes. Previous epidemiological studies have reported incidence rates of concussion among dual gender sports in which both males and females participate including; soccer, basketball, and baseball/softball yet minimal research has been conducted on differences in recovery time following concussion in the dual gender sports mentioned above.Purpose:The purpose of this study was to examine injury reporting trends associated with recovery time from concussion in dual gender sports from 2012-2017.Methods:Athletes with a reported SRC, ages 12 to 18 participating in baseball, softball, basketball, and soccer from 2012 to 2017 were included in the current study. Injury and exposure data was extracted and analyzed from the Rank One Health Injury Surveillance Database (ROH ISD). SRC counts, percentages, and recovery time in days were reported based on extracted data. All demographic and raw data were summarized using descriptive statistics with point estimates and 95% confidence intervals calculated for all end points. Independent sample t-tests were performed at <0.05 to measure significant differences between groups.Results:1,306 athletes (males=583, females=723) with an SRC and corresponding date of return to play recorded in the ROH ISD and participating in dual gender sports were analyzed. 242 baseball/softball SRCs (male=103, mean recovery days=17.82; female=139, mean recovery days=22.12), 458 basketball SRCs (male=187, mean recovery days=20.16; female=271, mean recovery days=23.29), and 606 soccer SRCs (male=193, mean recovery days=19.96; female=413, mean recovery days=23.71) were included. A statistically significant difference in recovery time was observed in male and female soccer SRCs (t=2.09, p=0.02). No significant differences were observed in recovery time in baseball/softball (t=1.59, p=0.057) and basketball (t=1.49, p=0.068).Conclusions:This is the first study of its kind to examine gender differences in report recovery time from SRCs in dual gender sports where both males and females participate. Significant gender differences were observed in reported recovery time in soccer athletes. Sports specialization, level of play, injury education level among participants, and training regiments could all be potential causes for the observed differences. Further research is warranted to explore these gender differences and identify potential causes for these findings.