The Longitudinal Relationship Between Concussion History, Years of American Football Participation, and Alcohol Use Among Former National Football League Players: an NFL-LONG Study.

OBJECTIVE

Investigate the relationships between concussion history and years of football participation (repetitive head impact proxy) with alcohol use across multiple decades in former professional football players.

METHODS

Participants (n = 348; mean age = 49.0 ± 9.4) completed health questionnaires in 2001 and 2019, which included self-reported concussion history and years of participation. Alcohol use frequency and amount per occasion were reported for three timepoints: during professional career, 2001, and 2019. Ordinal logistic regression models were fit to test associations of concussion history and years of participation with alcohol use at each timepoint.

RESULTS

There were no significant associations between either concussion history or years of football participation with alcohol use (frequency and amount per occasion) at any timepoint. Effect estimates for concussion history and years of football participation with alcohol use were generally comparable across timepoints.

CONCLUSIONS

Later life alcohol use by former American football players is not associated with concussion history or years of exposure to football.