Utilization of an objective measure to evaluate history of head trauma has been demonstrated to have a significant effect on the amount of sustained trauma reported by the individual, in athletic male populations. The ability to generalize this definition across a more diverse population remains an opportunity; a report from the World Health Organization recognized that 93% of current research on mild traumatic brain injuries omitted gender specific data. Further, relative to reports in young adults, research on the effects of concussions in midlife remain sparse. Researchers hypothesized that women between the ages of 30 and 50 from a general population would report additional head injuries when provided with an objective definition similar to those previously used in male athletes.

Highly educated (M=16.7 years, SD=2.1 years) women between the ages of 30 and 50 (M=40.3, SD= 5.1) completed an online web-based survey. The survey probed for demographic information tied to participation in sports & related activities, individual history of head trauma, as well as a series of objective measures. Participants were first asked to provide a history of head trauma, in absence of an objective definition; they were then provided with an objective definition similar to what was previously documented to be effective in the literature, and then asked to provide a reassessment of sustained trauma.

A Wilcoxen Signed Rank test indicated a significant change in number of reported head injuries, pre and post definition (z= 4.06, p<.0001). The number of head injuries reported increased for 42% of the population, for this portion of the sample the median increased fourfold. To better understand the differences between those who reported an increase, and those who didn’t, researchers performed an examination of commonalities between those groups. A Chi-Square Test of Independence indicated a significant relationship (chi=7.03, p<.01) between participation in sports (recreational, organized) and change in reported head injuries: 21% of individuals without a sport history increased the number of reported head injuries, in contrast 58% of individuals with a sport history increased the number of head injuries reported.

Consistent with the literature in male athletes, providing a definition of a head injury significantly increased the number of reported head injuries in women, between 30 and 50 years of age. This finding indicates that providing a definition can improve reported concussion history within a more diverse population. This fourfold increase for 42% of our population could bear significant implications for those receiving clinical care. Further, given that the definition utilized was especially effective at correcting history of reported head injury in those who participated in sports, it’s adoption within clinical communities evaluating athletic populations seems especially promising.