Concussions in female collegiate diving: an exploratory study

An abundant amount of research is being put into sports-related concussions. A vast majority of the research is being done on high-contact sports such as football, ice hockey, rugby, basketball, and soccer. The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of concussions in women’s collegiate diving and examine the diver’s readiness to return to competitive sport. Twenty-four Division I divers from different Midwestern universities completed a survey that included prevalence questions, a checklist of symptoms that they experienced, and several questions regarding confidence to return to play. The data showed that 54.2% of the participants have had a diving-related concussion. The three most common symptoms reported were headache, dizziness, and difficulty concentrating, all occurring in 91.7% of the concussions. On average it took 23.09 day for the divers to return to practice. Most divers reported being unconfident about performing the dive that resulted in their concussion again. This study revealed that collegiate female springboard and platform divers are in danger of sustaining concussions. It is important for divers, coaches, and athletic trainers for diving teams to be aware of this risk