The concussion issues in sports have been a huge topic for years, especially in the NFL. A new study published by FAIR Health suggests that the issues have continued to become a huge concern across a range of youth sports in the United States for boys and girls.
FAIR Health’s study concluded that concussion diagnoses for people under the age of 22 rose 500 percent from 2010 to 2014. FAIR Health is a not-for-profit whose “mission is to bring transparency to healthcare costs and health insurance information.” This study was conducted “based on healthcare insurance claims 2007-2015, ages 0-22 years.”
The study shows that the highest prevalence of concussions occurred between September and October every year. Those two months usually span almost the entire youth football season across the United States. High school age kids are the most likely to suffer a concussion, with 46 percent of diagnosed concussions occurring for those between 15 to 18.
500% Increase in Youth Concussion Diagnoses since 2010 #concussion https://t.co/U16JXqcUCV pic.twitter.com/iCuvQD6GkV
— FAIR Health (@FAIRHealth) July 11, 2016
The FAIR Health study also finds that boys are more likely to get a concussion on average. Although it is not always the case, such as in Pennsylvania where girls are diagnosed at a slightly higher rate.
We have covered technologies focused on curbing concussions here on numerous occasions. New technology is popping up regularly in the fight to prevent concussions as well as detect them. Mainly, new football helmet technology is being developed at a rapid rate. But mouthguards, catcher’s chest protectors, soccer headbands and many more innovations are also joining the fight against concussions at all levels, especially for young people.
Get The Latest Sports Tech News In Your Inbox!
In the United States concussions for those under 18 could be as high as 1.9 million annually according to a report by The American Academy of Pediatrics. That number is staggering and underlines the need to help improve safety measures as well as making sure concussions are diagnosed and treated. The same study suggests that as many as 44 million kids play youth sports in the U.S.
Football causes the largest number of concussions every year followed by hockey and soccer. A concussion infographic published by Lurie Children’s Hospital shows that wrestling causes the highest rate of concussions for collegiate athletes.
There are a lot of different numbers regarding youth sports participation and the prevalence of concussions in those sports, but no matter what direction the numbers skew concussions clearly occur very often.
Youth sports are a vital part of many peoples’ lives. They are intertwined within the fabric of not just American society but the world. Kids will continue to play sports no matter how prevalent concussions might be. This puts an even bigger spotlight on the hundreds if not thousands of sport technology companies who are fighting to make youth sports as safe as possible, so generations of kids can continue to play the sports they love.