TY - JOUR
T1 - An exploratory study into the relationship between playing at home or away and concussion
AU - Howarth, Nathan
AU - White, Adam
AU - Batten, John
AU - Pearce, Alan
AU - Miller, Michelle
N1 - Funding Information:
NH and AJW have received partial funding from the Erasmus+ strategic partnerships program (2019-1-IE01-KA202-051555). AJP has received research support from Sports Health Check charity (Australia), the Erasmus+ strategic partnerships program (2019-1-IE01-KA202-051555), the Australian Football League, Impact Technologies Inc., and Samsung Corporation, and has undertaken medico-legal work in concussion cases.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
PY - 2023/2/26
Y1 - 2023/2/26
N2 - Primary Objective: To investigate the effect of home and away game travel on risk of concussion across different levels of rugby union. Research Design: Exploration study across school, university, and professional rugby teams. Methods and Procedures: Retrospective analysis of concussion incidence and symptomology of surveillance data and prospective data collection for potential concussions via surveys. Data was collected from school rugby teams (n = 344 matches, over 2 years), a university rugby (n = 6 matches), and a professional rugby team (n = 64 matches, over two seasons). Main Outcomes and Results: School level rugby had an increased prevalence of concussions in away matches (p = 0.02). Likewise, there was a significant increase (p < 0.05) in concussions at away matches in university rugby. In addition, the professional rug by team had significant differences in recovery times and symptoms with away fixtures, including longer recovery times (p < 0.01), more initial symptoms (p < 0.01), as well as greater and more severe symptoms at 48 hours (p < 0.05). Conclusions: This research highlights an increased prevalence of concussion in school and university-aged rugby players away from home, as well as increased symptoms, symptom severity, and recovery times in professional rugby players.
AB - Primary Objective: To investigate the effect of home and away game travel on risk of concussion across different levels of rugby union. Research Design: Exploration study across school, university, and professional rugby teams. Methods and Procedures: Retrospective analysis of concussion incidence and symptomology of surveillance data and prospective data collection for potential concussions via surveys. Data was collected from school rugby teams (n = 344 matches, over 2 years), a university rugby (n = 6 matches), and a professional rugby team (n = 64 matches, over two seasons). Main Outcomes and Results: School level rugby had an increased prevalence of concussions in away matches (p = 0.02). Likewise, there was a significant increase (p < 0.05) in concussions at away matches in university rugby. In addition, the professional rug by team had significant differences in recovery times and symptoms with away fixtures, including longer recovery times (p < 0.01), more initial symptoms (p < 0.01), as well as greater and more severe symptoms at 48 hours (p < 0.05). Conclusions: This research highlights an increased prevalence of concussion in school and university-aged rugby players away from home, as well as increased symptoms, symptom severity, and recovery times in professional rugby players.
KW - concussion
KW - travel
KW - rugby union
KW - injury
KW - recovery
KW - Concussion
KW - Developmental and Educational Psychology
KW - Neuroscience (miscellaneous)
KW - Neurology (clinical)
UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/3b3d930a-caad-3a0b-8ac8-c75ce235fb25/
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85149272165&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/02699052.2023.2181400
DO - 10.1080/02699052.2023.2181400
M3 - Article
VL - 37
SP - 478
EP - 484
JO - Brain Injury
JF - Brain Injury
SN - 0269-9052
IS - 6
ER -