Prevalence of traumatic brain injury among adults and children

Surveillance of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the United States has historically relied on healthcare administrative datasets, but these sources likely underestimate the true burden of TBI. Surveys that ask individuals to self- or proxy-report their experiences with their injuries are an alternative source for surveillance. This paper provides results from a large national survey that ascertained TBI among sampled adults and children.

Data from the 2023 National Health Interview Survey, a nationally representative household survey of the civilian non-institutionalized US population, were examined. Descriptive and bivariate statistics of demographic and injury characteristics of children and adults who sustained a TBI in the past 12 months were calculated.

Analyses reveal that 3.0 % (n = 9757,000) of Americans (3.3 % of adults and 2.2 % of children (aged ≤17 years)) reported a TBI in the past year. Among children who sustained a TBI in the past year, over half (55.5 %) sustained their TBI during a sport or recreational activity, and 62.4 % were evaluated by a medical professional. The prevalence of TBI and injury characteristics varied by select demographics.

These findings demonstrate that TBI affects a large number of Americans and highlight the value of TBI surveillance through nationally representative surveys, providing a broad picture of prevalence, healthcare utilization, and setting of injury.