Employing Google Trends to Assess Concussion Search Popularity, Seasonality, and Association With High School Sports Participation

Neurology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 98 (1 Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. S9.3-S10
Author(s):  
Mehul Mehra ◽  
Pierce Brody ◽  
Todd Allen Maugans
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Public Perception ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Sports Participation ◽  
Google Trends ◽  
High School Football ◽  
Strong Negative Correlation ◽  
High School Sports ◽  
School Sports ◽  
Google Search

ObjectiveThis investigation employs 2004–2020 Google Trends data to correlate concussion search popularity and high school sports participation while assessing search seasonality and factors associated with search escalation.BackgroundEvents linked to concussions, from news to entertainment, altered public perception of concussions and discouraged high-risk activities. Such sentiment likely promoted high school football's 2004–2018 8% decrease in participation, despite simultaneous 8% increase for sports overall. Google Trends (GT) analysis calculates distinct subjects' popularity scores (0–100) by normalizing Google search frequency with other subjects in the same topic. With 35% of patients researching their conditions using Google, tracking concussion popularity scores allows robust analysis of event-driven fluctuation, seasonal variation, and sports impact.Design/MethodsWorldwide GT analysis was conducted for the disease topic “Concussion” with the categorical filter “Health” from 2004 to 2020. This period's monthly popularity scores with annual averages and annual high school sports participation data were subsequently obtained from Google Trends and the National Federation of State High School Associations, respectively.ResultsConcurrence of significant score changes with CTE studies' publication, release of 2015 film Concussion, and the COVID-19 pandemic validates GT's measurement of public interest. From 2006 to 2016, Pearson's correlation coefficients demonstrated strong negative correlation between GT popularity scores for “Concussion” with total number of high school football participants overall (R2 = 0.8553) and participants per school (R2 = 0.9533). Confirming football-related seasonality, one-way ANOVA regression analysis concluded 2004–2020's mean change in month-specific popularity score is not the same (p = 3.193E-08), and months during football season had statistically significant variability (September: p = 4.389E-05) with elevated average z-scores.ConclusionsCoupled with ANOVA regression and normalized analyses, strong negative correlations between concussion popularity score and high school football participation produce quantitative measures of a long-suspected relationship. Tracking concussion popularity and seasonality with Google Trends provides insight into how, when, and why patients are educating themselves online.

scholarly journals Concussion Epidemiology in Youth Sports: Sports Study of a Statewide High School Sports Program

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-24
Author(s):  
Benjamin J. Chun ◽  
Troy Furutani ◽  
Ross Oshiro ◽  
Casey Young ◽  
Gale Prentiss ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Student Athletes ◽  
Sports Participation ◽  
Management Program ◽  
Level Of Evidence ◽  
High School Sports ◽  
School Sports ◽  
Relative Risks ◽  
Injury Reporting ◽  
The Impact

Background: Current research on concussion incidence in youth athletes (age <18 years) is small and limited by variability in injury reporting and diagnostic methodology. Hypothesis: Concussion injuries commonly occur in high school sports programs. The likelihood of concussion among student-athletes (aged 13-18 years) depends on the sport they are participating in as well as the sex of the athlete. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiology study. Level of Evidence: Level 4. Methods: A retrospective analysis of all Hawaii high school athletes aged 13 to 18 years participating in 14 sports from 2011 through 2017 was performed as part of a statewide standardized concussion assessment and management program. Results: A total of 5993 concussions were identified among 92,966 athletes. The overall concussion rate was 0.96 (95% CI, 0.94-0.99). Girls’ judo had the highest concussion rate (1.92; 95% CI, 1.68-2.17) followed by football (1.60; 95% CI, 1.53-1.66). The concussion rate for boys (1.0; 95% CI, 0.97-1.03) was higher than that for girls (0.91; 95% CI, 0.87-0.95); however, in 4 of the 5 sports in which both girls and boys participated, girls had a higher rate of concussion injury. Conclusion: The likelihood of concussion among student-athletes aged 13 to 18 years may be higher than previously thought and varies depending on sport and sex. Clinical Relevance: Epidemiologic data on concussion injury in children and adolescents are useful in accurately determining the relative risks of high school sports participation and may be valuable in determining the appropriate allocation of health care and scholastic resources for student-athletes, as well as the impact of rule and training modifications designed to improve participant safety.

scholarly journals Epidemiology of Sport-Related Concussions in High School Athletes: National Athletic Treatment, Injury and Outcomes Network (NATION), 2011–2012 Through 2013–2014

2017 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
pp. 175-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn L. O'Connor ◽  
Melissa M. Baker ◽  
Sara L. Dalton ◽  
Thomas P. Dompier ◽  
Steven P. Broglio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Outcome Measure ◽  
Sports Participation ◽  
Descriptive Epidemiology ◽  
Epidemiology Study ◽  
High School Athletes ◽  
High School Sports ◽  
School Sports ◽  
Exposure Data ◽  
Rate Ratios

Context:Sports participation is one of the leading causes of concussions among nearly 8 million US high school student-athletes.Objective:To describe the epidemiology of sport-related concussion (SRC) in 27 high school sports during the 2011–2012 through 2013–2014 academic years.Design:Descriptive epidemiology study.Setting:Aggregate injury and exposure data from 27 sports in 147 high schools in the National Athletic Treatment, Injury and Outcomes Network (NATION).Patients or Other Participants:Boy and girl high school athletes during the 2011–2012 through 2013–2014 academic years.Main Outcome Measure(s):Sport-related concussion counts, percentages, rates per 10 000 athlete-exposures (AEs), rate ratios (RRs), and injury proportion ratios (IPRs) were reported with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Rate ratios and IPRs with 95% CIs not containing 1.0 were considered significant.Results:Overall, 2004 SRCs were reported among 27 high school sports, for a rate of 3.89 per 10 000 AEs. Football had the highest SRC rate (9.21/10 000 AEs), followed by boys' lacrosse (6.65/10 000 AEs) and girls' soccer (6.11/10 000 AEs). The SRC rate was higher in competition than in practice (RR = 3.30; 95% CI = 3.02, 3.60). Among sex-comparable sports, the SRC rate was higher in girls than in boys (RR = 1.56; 95% CI = 1.34, 1.81); however, the proportion of SRCs due to player-to-player contact was higher in boys than in girls (IPR = 1.48; 95% CI = 1.27, 1.73). Common symptoms reported among all athletes with SRCs were headache (94.7%), dizziness (74.8%), and difficulty concentrating (61.0%). Only 0.8% of players with SRCs returned to play within 24 hours. The majority of athletes with SRCs (65.8%) returned to play between 7 and 28 days. More players had symptoms resolve after 7 days (48.8%) than less than a week (40.7%).Conclusions:Our findings provide updated high school SRC incidence estimates and further evidence of sex differences in reported SRCs. Few athletes with SRCs returned to play within 24 hours or a week. Most injured players returned after 7 days, despite a smaller proportion having symptoms resolve within a week.

scholarly journals Trends in US High School Football Concussion Reporting, 2012-2017

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (7_suppl5) ◽  
pp. 2325967119S0030
Author(s):  
Scott O. Burkhart ◽  
Dustin M. Loveland ◽  
Troy M. Smurawa ◽  
John Polousky
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High Schools ◽  
Student Athletes ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
Event Type ◽  
High School Football ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
High School Sports ◽  
Injury Rates ◽  
School Sports

Objectives: Football has been a sport with high concussion rates when examined independently (Rosenthal et al., 2014). Accurately describing injury trends in high school sports is necessary to identify student-athletes at the greatest risk of injury and where potential injury reduction interventions should be focused. With increased reported high school concussion injuries and associated state legislative requirements, increased incidence rates are needed. The purpose of this study was to provide updated high-school football concussion incidence rates. Methods: Data Source and Study Period This study used data from the Rank One Health Injury Surveillance Database (ROH ISD). Data for the current study were analyzed across 6 calendar years (2012 through 2017) from 1,999 high schools. Data from the current study examined high school football concussion data in males ages 14 to 18. The ROH ISD consists of a convenience sample of participating schools from 2012 to 2017. Exposure and injury data represent a convenience sample of US high schools. For the current study, only data provided across all 1,999 high schools were included. All 1,999 high schools included in the current study logged practice and game participation events for each individual athlete participating in football at the respective high school and athletic exposures (AEs) are an accurate representation of rostered athletes participating in either practices or games by age and calendar year. The ROH ISD was deemed Category 4 IRB exempt. Statistical Analysis Injury counts, practice exposures, game exposures, and distributions by event type (practice or game), age, and injury mechanism were examined. Injury rates per 1,000 AEs and injury rate ratios (IRRs) were calculated by event type. Injury proportion ratios (IPRs) were used to examine differences by calendar year. Risk ratios (RRs) were calculated to compare event type by calendar year. All 95% confidence intervals (CIs) not containing 1.0 were considered statistically significant. Results: 997,308 male student-athletes participated in high school football. ATs recorded a total of 14,103 concussions in high school football from a total of 235,134 total injuries across all high school sports. High school football concussions accounted for 6% of all injuries in high school sports from 2012-2017. More concussions occurred in games (51.8%) than practices (48.2%). Decreases were found in annual injury rates for practices in high school football student-athletes from 2012 to 2016 with an increase in 2017. Decreases were found in annual injury rates for games from 2012 to 2016 with an increase in 2017. IPR decreased by year from 2012 to 2016 (with an increase in 2017. IRR and RR comparisons for games versus practices were significant from 2012 to 2017 (Table 1). Conclusion: This study marks the largest epidemiological high school football concussion incidence investigation to date. The findings from this study provide updated high school football concussion incidence rates and provide further evidence of differences in injury rates when comparing practices and games. The higher rates of concussions occurring in games relative to practices emphasize prior trends of injury risk relative to the level of competition. Overall, results highlight a decline in injury rates over time and lower rates of injury compared to prior high school football epidemiological concussion studies. [Table: see text]

High School Athletics and Adult Sport–Leisure Activity: Gender Variations across the Life Cycle

1987 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 329-346 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank M. Howell ◽  
James A. McKenzie
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Sport Participation ◽  
Leisure Activity ◽  
Sports Participation ◽  
Structural Equations ◽  
School Level ◽  
High Status ◽  
High School Sports ◽  
School Sports ◽  
Gender Variations

There is a significant investment by schools and local communities in the athletic programs offered by secondary schools. A growing issue is, to what extent does the functioning of these sports programs coincide with the formal academic goals of the school? Using a structural equations model, we examine one theme within this major issue by estimating the effect of high school sports participation on sport and leisure activity later in adulthood. Further investigated is the process by which these effects are played out over the transition from adolescence to adulthood, as well as gender differences in the pattern of effects. Using the EEO panel of 1955 high school sophomores reinterviewed in 1970, we find that varsity and nonvarsity sports participation in high school increases adult sports involvement. However, whereas high school sports participation does not retard reading or “high-status” leisure pursuits in adulthood, curriculum track placement during high school does enhance these activities later in life. Track effects were also largely independent of completed school level. Finally, gender variations in the model were present but not uniformly so and largely appear to make sport participation and tracking effects significant only among men.

scholarly journals College-Going Benefits of High School Sports Participation

2012 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 295-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dara Shifrer ◽  
Jennifer Pearson ◽  
Chandra Muller ◽  
Lindsey Wilkinson
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Sports Participation ◽  
High School Sports ◽  
School Sports ◽  
College Going

scholarly journals Pay to Play? State Laws Related to High School Sports Participation Fees

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. E27-E35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy A. Eyler ◽  
Elizabeth Piekarz-Porter ◽  
Natalicio H. Serrano
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Sports Participation ◽  
High School Sports ◽  
State Laws ◽  
School Sports

Just Don’t Do It: High School Sports Participation and Young Female Adult Sexual Behavior

2002 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 403-418 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamela McNulty Eitle ◽  
David J. Eitle
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Sports Participation ◽  
Young Female ◽  
Adult Women ◽  
High School Sports ◽  
School Sports ◽  
Sports Involvement ◽  
Lifetime Number ◽  
Using Data

Recent research has explored the relationship between sports participation in high school and the sexual and reproductive behavior of females. Evidence has accumulated that playing sports is associated with a lowered risk of pregnancy among adolescents and positively associated with the use of contraceptives, but little evidence has been uncovered as to whether such associations endure into young adulthood. Using data from a representative community sample, we examined whether differences in high school sports participation has an association with the sexual and reproductive activities of young adult women after high school (n = 679). Results of multivariate analyses suggest that high school sports involvement is a predictor of the likelihood of childbirth outside of marriage and lifetime number of sex partners but is not a predictor of condom use during sex.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document