[February 02, 2014]

Truven Health Analytics-NPR Health Poll Finds One in Four American Households Will Not Let their Children Play Football, Citing Concussion Risk

One in four American households with children will not let their kids play football due to concerns over concussions, according to the Truven Health Analytics-NPR (News - Alert) Health Poll.

Truven Health Analytics™ and NPR conduct a monthly poll to gauge attitudes and opinions on a wide range of health issues.

The survey asked respondents to share their views on sports-related head injuries. The results found that 25 percent of households with children won't let their kids play football. Thirty four percent said they would keep their kids from playing hockey, while only three and four percent said they would stop their kids from playing basketball and soccer respectively.

Additionally, 40 percent of respondents say an improvement is needed in equipment if football is going to continue to be offered as a high school sport, a rate that tended to increase with increasing age and level of income of the respondents. Seven percent of respondents said the risks associated with football are too great and the sport should no longer be sanctioned as a high school activity. One in ten said they are unaware of risks associated with concussions.

"Awareness of the long-term risks of head injury is still fairly low," said Michael Taylor, M.D., chief medical officer at Truven Health Analytics. "We know repeated minor concussions can lead to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), but we don't understand exactly how much trauma can lead to CTE. Mior head injury is a risk in many contact sports, particularly football, hockey, and boxing, and more research on head protection is needed."

Meanwhile, few Americans have let their concussion concerns affect their professional football viewing habits. Seventy two percent said the risk of concussions has not changed how often they watch pro ball. Five percent of respondents said they actually watch more professional football due to the risk of head injuries and five percent said they watch less. Seventeen percent said they do not watch football.

To date, the Truven Health Analytics-NPR Health Poll has explored numerous health topics, including generic drugs, abortion, vaccines, food allergies, and organic and genetically modified foods. NPR's reports on the surveys are archived online at the Shots health blog here.

Truven Health Analytics maintains a library of poll results here.

The Truven Health Analytics-NPR Health Poll is powered by the Truven Health PULSE^SM Healthcare Survey, the nation's largest and longest-running independently funded, nationally representative telephone poll that collects information about health-related behaviors and attitudes and healthcare utilization from more than 100,000 US households annually. Survey questions are developed in conjunction with NPR. The figures in this month's poll are based on 3,006 participants interviewed from November 1-15, 2013. The margin of error is 1.8 percent.

About Truven Health Analytics

At Truven Health Analytics, we're dedicated to delivering the answers our clients need to improve healthcare quality and access, and reduce costs. Our unmatched data assets, technology, analytic expertise, and comprehensive perspective have served the healthcare industry for more than 30 years. Everyday our insights and solutions give hospitals and clinicians, employers and health plans, state and federal government, life sciences researchers, and policymakers the confidence they need to make the right decisions, right now, every time.

Truven Health Analytics owns some of the most trusted brands in healthcare, such as Micromedex, ActionOI, 100 Top Hospitals, MarketScan, and Advantage Suite. Truven Health has its principal offices in Ann Arbor, Mich.; Chicago; and Denver. For more information, please visit www.truvenhealth.com.

About NPR

NPR is an award-winning, multimedia news organization and an influential force in American life. In collaboration with more than 900 independent public radio stations nationwide, NPR strives to create a more informed public - one challenged and invigorated by a deeper understanding and appreciation of events, ideas and cultures.

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