722 BO06 – Helmet fit assessment and risk factors in youth American football athletes

Background Properly fitted equipment remains a critical element in reducing the risk of concussion in American football. Objective To assess helmet fitting characteristics and contributing risk factors for improper fit in a sample of youth American football athletes. Design Cross-sectional study Setting University-sanctioned youth football camp Participants Data were collected for 69 youth football athletes aged 8–14 years in June 2023. Interventions Parents/guardians answered questions to identify risk factors for improper fit. The child was then instructed to place their helmet on and fasten it as if they were going to participate in a practice/game. Research personnel then assessed helmet fit using a standardized, 9-point inspection. Main Outcome Measurements Risk factors consisted of: current helmet previously fit by a coach and/or parent [yes or no], helmet issuance [team/school issued or purchased individually] and year of helmet initial season [within 3 years or older than 3 years]. Using the 9-point inspection, an overall helmet fit variable was created to determine proper/improper fit. A series of chi-square tests for independence were conducted between all risk factors and overall helmet fit. Results Approximately half (53.6%, n=37) of youth football athletes had a properly fit helmet. Of the 46.4% (n=32) with an improperly fit helmet, 20.3% (n=14) had ≥3-inspection items not fit. There were no significant associations between overall proper helmet fit and all risk factors, including previous fitting by a coach/parent (χ¹=0.412, p=0.521), helmet issuance (χ¹=0.002, p=0.966), and year of helmet initial season (χ¹=2.686, p=0.101). Conclusions There were no significant associations between proper American football helmet fit and contributing risk factors in youth athletes. Improper helmet fit may be more attributed to an athletes head size and facial dimensions. Helmets selected based on measured head circumference may be sufficient to ensure proper fit to best reduce the risk of concussion.