Impact of prior concussion history on concussion symptoms and health-related quality of life in an underrepresented and historically excluded population.

OBJECTIVE

To examine differences in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and concussion symptoms among Black/African American adolescent football athletes with and without a history of concussion.

METHODS

Athletes' pre-season health questionnaires were analyzed. HRQoL consisted of the Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS®) Life Satisfaction and Psychological Stress Experienced. Total number and severity of concussion symptoms were evaluated using the 21-item Post-Concussion Symptoms Scale. Concussion history was self-reported. Differences in HRQoL and concussion symptom measures were evaluated between those with and without a history of concussion using Mann-Whitney U tests. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.

RESULTS

The sample consisted of 239 Black/African American adolescents (age 15.66 ± 1.22), of which 45 (18.83%) reported a history and 194 (81.17%) reported no history of concussion. Significant differences were found in psychological stress (p = 0.027), total number of symptoms (p = 0.006), and symptom severity (p = 0.003), where those with a history of concussion reported higher scores. No significant difference was found for life satisfaction.

CONCLUSION

Black/African American adolescent athletes with a history of concussion endorsed higher concussion symptoms, higher symptom severity, and more psychological stress. This underscores the importance of incorporating HRQoL measures post-injury and the inclusion of underrepresented populations to promote a more holistic understanding of concussions.