B - 56 Concussion Symptom Differences by Race/Ethnicity, Sex, and Age in Elementary-Age Children

Objective The influence of race/ethnicity upon symptom presentation after concussion in young children is unclear, although adult studies suggest that white male participants may encounter fewer negative outcomes. This study’s objective was to compare symptoms in elementary-age children in the immediate post-concussion period by race/ethnicity, sex, and age. Method Children (N = 392) aged 5–12 years (m = 10.26, SD = 1.83) seen within 30 days of a concussion at a specialty concussion clinic. Participants completed the concussion symptom scale from the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool-5 (SCAT-5). The sample was 55.9% male with overall race/ethnicity 63.3% non-Hispanic White, 19.9% Hispanic/Latino, and 16.8% Black. Two-way (2x3) mixed-design ANOVA models examined number of endorsed SCAT-5 symptoms and total severity by racial/ethnic group, sex, and age. Participants were grouped by the following age ranges: 5–9 (N = 113), 10–11 (N = 143), and 12 years old (N = 134). Results Results showed no significant difference in total symptom count [F(2, 391) = 0.799, p = 0.460] nor symptom severity [F(2, 391) = 1.788, p = 0.169] across racial/ethnic groups. Females endorsed more symptoms [F(1, 391) = 20.383, p < 0.001] and greater severity of symptoms [F(1, 391) = 16.826, p < 0.001] than males. No significant symptom differences by age group were found. Conclusion(s) Comparison of concussion symptoms by race/ethnicity did not reveal differences for elementary-age children in this sample. As expected, females reported more symptoms than males. More research is needed with larger samples to examine sociodemographic aspects of concussion diagnosis, care, and recovery.