DeSoto running back Sarod Baker is engulfed by the Southlake Carroll defense during a 6A Division 2 playoff game in December. All 6A schools are required to report concussion data to the UIL.
Bob Booth
Special to the Star-Telegram
Urban and lower-income high schools in North Texas may be underreporting concussions in high school athletes, a new study has found.
The study, published by researchers with UT Southwestern Medical Center, found that fewer concussions were reported in North Texas high school athletes in urban and lower-income districts.
All Texas schools participating in the University Interscholastic League are encouraged to report concussions to the ConTex2 registry, which collects data on concussions in Texas. The state’s largest schools, known as 6A schools, are required to report concussions to the registry. Researchers analyzed 6,300 concussions reported to the registry from student athletes in grades 9 through 12.
The good news, said Dr. Mathew Stokes, an assistant professor of pediatrics and neurology at UT Southwestern, is that reporting in sports like soccer and football were similar no matter the location or average income of the school.
“That’s promising that we are doing a good job in those areas,” said Stokes, one of the study’s senior authors.
The discrepancy, he said, occurred in less visible sports, like cheerleading, cross country, softball, and marching band.
The study is working off the assumption that concussion rates are similar at different high schools across North Texas. It is estimated that about 15% of high school athletes will suffer a concussion during the course of their high school career. A concussion is defined as a traumatic brain injury that’s caused by either a direct blow to the head or by a blow that causes a transmitted force to the brain, Stokes said.
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It’s important that concussions get reported to the registry, Stokes said, because if concussions aren’t reported they probably aren’t getting diagnosed and treated.
“As you get more injuries, there’s a potential long term impact on your brain, and so we want to make sure that we’re catching these and diagnosing them correctly,” Stokes said.
One of the most important factors in avoiding long-term health issues, Stokes said, is getting appropriately diagnosed and pulled from play at the time of the concussion.
“If that’s not happening, you’re putting people at risk of either returning to play when they’re not ready, or continuing to play when they have an injury, which puts them at risk of long term issues from their concussion.
The researchers hypothesized that less visible sports at lower income schools might have fewer resources available to diagnose and report concussions.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Ciara McCarthy covers health and wellness as part of the Star-Telegram’s Crossroads Lab. She came to Fort Worth after three years in Victoria, Texas, where she worked at the Victoria Advocate. Ciara is focused on equipping people and communities with information they need to make decisions about their lives and well-being. Please reach out with your questions about public health or the health care system. Email cmccarthy@star-telegram.com or call or text 817-203-4391.