Why are female footballers getting concussed more often than their male counterparts? A scoping review protocol

Abstract

Background There has recently been an exponential increase in concussion-based research and literature along with a range of media exposure, secondary to a developing understanding of the effects of concussion, particularly in the long term. Despite the raft of concussion-based research being published there is a clear gap in understanding as to why female athletes are at a greater risk. Numerous epidemiological studies suggest that female football (soccer) players rate of concussion is much greater than male footballers. There is also evidence to suggest that females take longer to recover following a concussion. Objective The aim of the review proposed in this protocol is to identify possible mechanisms as to why female footballers are more at risk of a concussion and to highlight gaps in the literature to propose future research to improve the understanding of the topic. This review will map the literature on the gender gap regarding the rate of concussions in female football players. Methods The study design (scoping review) has been chosen to allow a broad search of literature and hypothesis generation. The scoping review proposed will be designed following evidence-based guidelines to ensure rigorous methodological quality. Conclusion The effect of a concussion in both the short and long term can be dramatic, and it is important that the reason(s) behind the increased risk for females is understood. This may provide valuable information for concussion education and prevention programmes.