Most high school football players believe it’s OK to play through concussion symptoms, despite knowing the risk of serious injury, suggests a study presented last week in Boston at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies.
Physicians from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center surveyed 120 high school football players, 30 of whom had previously suffered a concussion; 84 reported going through previous concussion education.
Ninety-one percent of the players knew that continuing to play despite concussion symptoms could result in serious injury or even death. And most could list concussion symptoms, such as headaches, dizziness, and sensitivity to light or sound.
Still, more than 91 percent of the student-athletes said they believed it was all right to stay in a game after suffering a concussion. Only about 40 percent would tell the coach immediately if they were experiencing concussion symptoms, according to the study.
