Tracking of concussions

Tracking of concussions

Number of cases of concussions in Canada

According to the Canadian Community Health Survey, concussions accounted for 3.3% of injuries in 2014, ages 12 and up. This was a significant increase from 1.9% reported in 2009.

The most frequent causes of concussions and Traumatic Brain Injuries in children and youth

Data from the Electronic Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program provides injury-related information. It showed that brain injuries, including concussions, made up 80% of emergency department visits for sports and recreation-related head injuries for 5- to 19-year-olds.

Table 1 shows the breakdown of hospital visits for concussions by sex and sport.

Table 1

Age (years)	Sex	Sport	Percentage of visits for brain injuries compared to all injuries
5-9	male	ice hockey	43.4
	male	gym class	30.6
	female	ice hockey	30.9
	female	sledding/tobogganing	24.9
10-14	male	ice hockey	28.7
	male	rugby	28.5
	female	ringette	38.2
	female	ice hockey	31.9
15-19	male	rugby	27.0
	male	ice hockey	20.7
	female	ringette	44.3
	female	ice hockey	37.1

Emergency department surveillance on the causes of sport and recreation-related concussions and other brain injuries shows that:

• among 5- to 9-year-olds, ice-hockey is the most common cause for both boys and girls
• among 10-14 and 15-19-year-olds:
• ice hockey and rugby are the most common causes for boys
• ringette and ice hockey are the most common causes for girls

For more information

• Concussion in Sport infographic