The combat sports community, one where brain health knowledge is crucial given the inherent risks of the sports, lacks adequate awareness according to several studies. The latest study exploring this topic was published this month focussing on youth karate athletes.
In the study, titled Concussion history and knowledge among top-level youth karate athletes, the authors polled 654 athletes who competed at the world championships. They were asked to report their concussion history and also polled about their concussion knowledge. The study revealed “significant gaps” with only 24.5% of athletes correctly identifying a concussion and 68.9% believing loss of consciousness was required for a concussion diagnosis.
The full abstract is below.
Abstract
Objective To examine concussion experiences and knowledge among top-level youth karate athletes.
Methods This cross-sectional study collected data during the 12th World Karate Championships for cadets, juniors and under-21 athletes (held in Konya, Turkey, 2022). All 1414 registered athletes from 95 countries were invited to complete a 16-item paper-based questionnaire assessing demographic data, concussion history and concussion knowledge prior to the competing at the tournament. χ2 and Fisher’s exact tests were used to analyse differences by sex, age group and continental karate federation.
Results A total of 654 athletes (46.3% response rate), including 286 (43.7%) females and 368 (56.3%) males, participated in the study, with 29.9% reporting one or more concussions during participation in karate training or competition. Older age groups (under 21 years) reported significantly higher concussion rates than younger athletes (56.9% vs 31.1% juniors and 24.7% cadets; p<0.001). Concussion knowledge revealed considerable gaps, with only 24.5% of athletes correctly identifying a concussion and 68.9% believing loss of consciousness was required for a concussion diagnosis. Misconceptions varied significantly across geographical regions, with Asian and African athletes demonstrating the greatest need for targeted education. Female athletes demonstrated better concussion reporting attitudes than males (60.4% vs 48.9%, p=0.004).
Conclusions This study highlights the prevalence of concussions and significant knowledge gaps among top-level youth karate athletes, emphasising the need for tailored educational interventions to improve concussion recognition and management within the karate community.
Combat Sports Law 