Abstract
Background. The symptom profiles of young adolescent rugby and non-contact sports were investigated over one sport season. Objectives. To compare the concussion symptom profiles of rugby players with those of non-contact sport players over a sport season. Methods. In a non-equivalent quasi-experimental design, a group of rugby players (n=99) were compared with a demographically equivalent group of non-contact sport participants (n=74). The computerised Immediate Post-concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (IMPACT) symptom scale was employed to evaluate and compare pre-season and post-season assessment of both groups. Results. Independent comparative analyses revealed that the damaging effects owing to exposure to concussive and sub-concussive incidents appear to be more pronounced in the rugby group in terms of symptomatic presentation compared with the controls. Conclusion. The damaging effects are compounded during a rugby season as a result of sub-concussive and concussive events.
| Original language | English |
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| Pages (from-to) | 133-138 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | SAJCH South African Journal of Child Health |
| Volume | 14 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Sept 2020 |