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This is a Literature Review study.

September 28, 2025

B – 33 The Effect of Race, Socioeconomic Status, and Sex on the Duration and Symptom Severity of Sports-Related Concussion Recovery in High School and College Athletes

KPKarlie PollockHaverford College GSGesenia Sloan-Peña

Key Points

Black athletes and those from low socioeconomic backgrounds show less knowledge of concussion management, affecting recovery outcomes.
Hormonal differences and physical factors like neck strength influence the severity of symptoms and recovery duration in concussed individuals.
A systematic literature review of 21 studies over 10 years identifies critical moderating variables in concussion recovery outcomes.
The study suggests enhanced educational resources to improve understanding of concussion impacts, especially among youth.

Abstract

Abstract Objective Sports-related concussions (SRC) appear to be occurring more frequently in children, as seen in the increase in emergency room visits since 2001. Concussion can lead to cognitive impairments in memory, attention, orientation, language acquisition, and intellectual functioning. However, there is a paucity of understanding as to why certain individuals recover faster. This review investigates the impact of race, socioeconomic status (SES), and sex on the duration and symptom severity of sports-related concussion recovery in high school and college athletes. Method Literature was obtained via searches of journals available in the following databases: Google Scholar, PubMed, and APA PsychInfo, using combinations of the following search terms: ‘Concussion’, ‘Socioeconomic status’, ‘Race’, ‘Sex’, ‘Minority Populations’, ‘Children’, ‘Adolescents’, ‘High School’, ‘College’, ‘Concussion’ AND ‘Race’ AND ‘Sport’, ‘Sports-related concussion’. A total of 21 peer-reviewed journal articles during the previous 10 years from March 2015 – April 2024 were deemed eligible for inclusion. Results Both low SES and Black high school and college student athletes report less concussion-related knowledge that would equip them with positive help-seeking behaviors. Sex-based differences including hormones (e.g., progesterone and estrogen), neck strength, and head acceleration were found to impact concussion recovery and symptom severity. Conclusion Various moderating factors, such as race, SES, and sex have been identified that influence concussion outcomes; however, clinicians should seek to understand individual differences in recovery times and symptom presentation. Psychoeducational materials should be implemented to decrease the gap of knowledge surrounding sports-related concussion and its impact on recovery length and symptom severity in children and young adults.

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