title: Concussions among United States high school and collegiate athletes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  An estimated 300,000 sport-related traumatic brain injuries, predominantly concussions, occur annually in the United States. Sports are second only to motor vehicle crashes as the leading cause of traumatic brain injury among people aged 15 to 24 years.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the epidemiology of concussions in a nationally representative sample of high school athletes and to compare rates of concussion among high school and collegiate athletes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive epidemiologic study.
  
  
  METHODS
  100 United States high schools and 180 US colleges.
  
  
  METHODS
  United States high school and collegiate athletes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from 2 injury surveillance systems, High School Reporting Information Online (RIO) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association Injury Surveillance System, were analyzed to calculate rates, describe patterns, and evaluate potential risk factors for sport-related concussion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Concussions represented 8.9% (n = 396) of all high school athletic injuries and 5.8% (n = 482) of all collegiate athletic injuries. Among both groups, rates of concussions were highest in the sports of football and soccer. In high school sports played by both sexes, girls sustained a higher rate of concussions, and concussions represented a greater proportion of total injuries than in boys. In all sports, collegiate athletes had higher rates of concussion than high school athletes, but concussions represented a greater proportion of all injuries among high school athletes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sport-related injury surveillance systems can provide scientific data to drive targeted injury-prevention projects. Developing effective sport-related concussion preventive measures depends upon increasing our knowledge of concussion rates, patterns, and risk factors.
authors.affiliation: The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Luke M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Gessel
authors.forename: Sarah K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Fields
authors.forename: Christy L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Collins
authors.forename: Randall W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Dick
authors.forename: R Dawn
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Comstock
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001924:Brain Concussion / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology