Girls More Likely to Report Concussions, But Belief That Injury Not Serious Still Driving Underreporting, Regardless of Gender

Girls are more likely to report concussions when they occur, to realize, after watching a 30-minute Powerpoint presentation about concussion, that they had sustained more concussions than previously thought, and to be more likely to report a concussion after receiving the lecture, a 2016 study finds. (1) 

Analyzing data collected from 454 randomly selected female and male high school athletes, researchers at Sacred Heart University in Connecticut and Ben Hogan Sports Medicine in Arlington, Texas found that, consistent with previous studies, boys were more likely to not report a concussion, and that girls were more likely to report future concussion injuries after the educational lecture.

Most concerning to researchers, however, were that the most common reason for not reporting concussion, regardless of gender, continues to be the belief that the injury was not serious.  That almost half of the girls (46.7%) and more than half (54.5%) of the boys surveyed believed that the game/event should dictate return to play procedures, numbers significantly greater than those reported a decade ago, suggested to lead author Theresa Miyashita that high school athletes still “do not fully comprehend the serious nature of a concussive injury, leading to dramatic underreporting.”

“Given the difference between sexes regarding reporting behaviors after educational intervention and the shared commonality in reporting rationale as well as RTP protocols,” Miyashita said, “concussion education initiatives should continue to focus on improving attitudes and beliefs and promoting better care-seeking behaviors.”

1. Miyashita TL, Diakogeorgiou E, VanderVegt C. Gender Differences in Concussion Reporting Among High School Athletes. Sports Health: A Multidisciplinary Approach 2016;8(4): 359-363 (published online before print May 27, 2016,doi:10.1177/1941738116651856)

Recommended for further reading

Honest Self-Reporting Of Concussion Symptoms Critical
Athletes’ Resistance To Self-Reporting of Concussion Continues Despite Increased Education
Coaches Can Play Important Role in Encouraging Athletes To Report Concussion Symptoms, Studies Find
Coaches: Improve Concussion Safety By Creating Safe Environment For Athlete Self-Reporting