Epidemiology of Concussive Injuries in Collegiate Recreational Athletes

Background: The epidemiology of concussion in collegiate and high school athletes has been extensively researched. Concussive injury in collegiate recreation, a less supervised sample, is limited. This preliminary study retrospectively examined the incidence and prevalence rates of concussive injuries in intramural and club sports at one institution. Methods: Injury reports were analyzed during the 2016-2019 calendar years. Concussion prevalence, incidence, and odds ratios (reported with 95% CIs) were calculated for intramural and club sports. Results: During the study period, a total of 805 injuries were reported between intramural and club sports with 111 injuries being documented as concussions. Intramural sports concussion prevalence averaged a rate of 2.77 per 1,000 unique participants while the incidence for both intramural and club sports was 13.79%. Females (2.58; 95% CI, 1.623-3.722), club ultimate frisbee (1.674; 95% CI, 0.838-3.342), and intramural outdoor soccer (1.646, 95% CI, 0.907-2.988) resulted in having higher odds of sustaining a concussion. Conclusion: Concussion prevalence and incidence was higher in this sample compared to high school and NCAA athletes. The high incidence of concussion paired with lack of medical care may result in poor outcomes in this population. Future research should replicate and expand to ensure increased rates are generalizable