Does conformity to traditional masculine norms explain between-sex differences in concussion reporting intention and behavior among young adult college athletes?
Gendered behavior, specifically conformity to risk-taking norms, rather than biologically determined sex, is an important factor in concussion reporting and continued play while symptomatic among college athletes.
This study assessed whether between-sex differences in concussion reporting intention and behavior among young adults are explained by the extent to which the individual conforms to traditional masculine norms that often characterize contemporary sport culture. A survey of college athletes in the United States (n = 328) found greater symptom reporting intention among females as compared to males, but no difference in their likelihood continued play while experiencing symptoms of a possible concussion. Greater conformity to the norms of risk-taking was associated with greater likelihood of continued play while symptomatic among female athletes but not among male athletes. These findings suggest that gendered behavior, rather than biologically determined sex, is an important consideration for concussion safety in this age group. Addressing elements of the contemporary sport ethos that reinforce risk taking in service of athletic achievement may be a relevant direction for interventions aimed at improving injury reporting among all athletes.
Kroshus et al. (Wed,) studied this question.