A new study found that the type and brand of helmet a person wears doesn't lower the risk of concussion.
Concussions are common among people who play contact sports. According to The American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, over 40,000 high school football kids get a concussion every year. Researchers from the University of Wisconsin conducted a study to determine why the rate of concussion is so high, despite players wearing helmets.
Researchers looked at 1,332 players who took part in the study. Among the participants, 251 reported having at least one sports-related concussion (SRC) within the last six years and 171 reported one SRC within the previous 12 months. The data was collected by Licensed Athletic Trainers (ATCs) at 36 public and private high schools in Wisconsin during the 2012 football season.
ATCs at each school recorded the helmet brand, model and purchase year, as well as the type of mouth guard utilized along with the number and type of exposure (practice vs. game) and the number of SRCs sustained.
Researcher concluded that the type, brand and age of the helmet didn't lower the risk of concussion sustained while playing.
"According to our research, lower risks of sustaining a sports-related concussion (SRC) and its severity were not improved based on a specific manufacturer. In addition, the SRC rates were similar for players wearing new helmets, as compared to those wearing older ones," said lead author, Timothy McGuine, PhD, ATC of the University of Wisconsin, in a press statement. "It is also interesting to note, that players who wore a generic mouth guard provided by the school had a lower rate of SRC compared to players with more expensive mouth guards."
Researchers also noted that age, BMI, grade in school and level of competition or years of football experience were not associated with an increased risk of concussions. However, players with a history of SRC were twice as likely to sustain another one compared to players without a history. This finding can be helpful in identifying, preventing and reducing concussion rates in the future.
