The concussion gender gap in youth sports

This content was originally authored by Katie Taylor for the 11/14/19 edition of our Weekly Concussion Update newsletter.

A recent article published by Forbes discusses a study that explored differences in concussion risk for high school athletes based on the sport and gender of the players. The study, written by Zachary Y. Kerr et al. and published by Pediatrics, determined that football had the highest concussion rate, with boys sustaining an average of 10.2 concussions per 10,000 athletic exposures (one exposure being a practice or competition in their sport). Girls soccer was not much better, with an average of 8.4 concussions per 10,000 athletic exposures. This number is particularly notable when compared to boys soccer, which had an average of 3.5 concussions per 10,000 athletic exposures. Kerr et al. also found that girls had a larger proportion of recurrent concussions than boys did in “sex-comparable sports.”

Several possible explanations have been explored for this gender gap in sports-related concussion. On average, females have less-developed neck muscles than males. These muscles protect the head from the rapid deceleration and acceleration that occurs during a hard hit. Additionally, researchers have observed sex differences in axonal structure that render females more susceptible to neurological damage.

From a social standpoint, Forbes suggested that boys in sports are encouraged to play through injuries, so there may be a higher proportion of unreported concussions in boys sports. Furthermore, because more traditional boys sports use hits as a part of the game, boys may be taught techniques for taking and avoiding hits in athletics from a young age. This exposure, as well as increased focus on concussions in football, may render young male athletes more equipped to handle head trauma.