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Updated: May 14, 2025
A Multi-Modal Approach to Assessing Recovery in Youth Athletes Following Concussion
Published on: September 25, 2014
The Incidence of Sports-Related Concussion in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Veronica Ingram1,2, Megan Fielding1,2, Laura A M Dunne1,3
1School of Behavioural and Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, 115 Victoria Parade, Fitzroy, Melbourne, VIC, 3065, Australia.
Background:
Sport-related concussions (SRC) are a concern for young athletes due to the potential for long-term health problems. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of the literature exploring SRC incidence in youth sports to understand the associated risks.
Methods:
Medline, Embase, SPORTDiscus, PsycINFO, and Web of Science databases were searched without language restrictions up to September 2024. Studies were included if they (i) reported data for calculation of SRC incidence, (ii) were a prospective cohort study, and (iii) included a sample aged ≤ 18 years. Studies that reported Athlete Exposure (AE) or Player Hours (PH) as SRC incidence data measures were included in a multi-level random-effects meta-analysis. Additional analysis explored SRC incidence based on age, sex, country, year of data collection, setting, and level of contact.
Results:
Of the 6474 studies reviewed for eligibility, 116 studies were accepted for a systematic review and 99 in the meta-analysis. A total of 3,025,911 participants were included in the review (59% male, 41% female); however, 41% of studies did not report sample size. The pooled incidence rate of SRC per 1000 AE was found to be 1.41 across 21 sports, and 4.36 per 1000 PH across 7 sports. The highest incidence per 1000 AE were in taekwondo, rugby union, and ice hockey, and the highest incidence per 1000 PH were in rugby 7s, rugby league, and rugby union.
Conclusions:
This systematic review and meta-analysis can serve as an updated baseline for risk of concussion among youth athletes across various sports.
Trial Registration:
This systematic review was registered on OSF Registries ( https://osf.io/v298s ).
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