title: Relative risk for concussions in young female soccer players.
abstract: The objective of this study was to determine the relative risk and reported symptoms of concussions in 11- to 13-year-old, female soccer players. For this, a survey to compare the reported incidence of concussion in age-matched female soccer players to nonsoccer players was performed. The survey included 342 girls between the ages of 11 and 13: 195 were involved in an organized soccer team and 147 were not involved in organized soccer but were allowed to participate in any other sport or activity. A total of 94 of the 195 soccer players, or 48%, reported at least one symptom consistent with a concussion. The most prevalent symptom for these girls was headache (84%). A total of 34 of the 147 nonsoccer players, or 23%, reported at least one symptom consistent with a concussion in the previous six months. These results determined that the relative risk of probable concussions among 11- to 13-year-old, female soccer players is 2.09 (p < .001, α = .05, CI = 95%). This demonstrates that the relative risk of probable concussions in young female soccer players is significantly higher than in a control group of nonsoccer players of the same sex and age.
authors.affiliation: a Health and Human Sciences , Loyola Marymount University , Los Angeles , California.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Strand
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lechuga
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zachariah
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Beaulieu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001924:Brain Concussion / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012916:Soccer / Q000293:injuries*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: concussion; females; soccer; youth