Age of First Exposure Does Not Relate to Post-Career Health in Former Professional American-Style Football Players

作者：Douglas P. Terry, Rachel Grashow, Grant L. Iverson, Paula S. Atkeson, Ran S. Rotem, Shawn R. Eagle, Daniel H. Daneshvar, Scott L. Zuckerman, Ross Zafonte, Marc G. Weisskopf, Aaron L. Baggish · 发表于：Sports Medicine · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.1007/s40279-024-02062-9 · 被引用次数：8 · 研究领域：Cardiovascular Effects of Exercise、Sport Psychology and Performance、Traumatic Brain Injury Research

OBJECTIVE: Prior studies examining small samples of symptomatic former professional football players suggest that earlier age of first exposure (AFE) to American football is associated with adverse later life health outcomes. This study examined a larger, more representative sample of former professional American football players to assess associations between AFE before age 12 (AFE < 12) and clinical outcomes compared with those who started at age 12 or older (AFE 12 +). METHODS: Former professional American football players who completed a questionnaire were dichotomized into AFE < 12 and AFE 12 + . AFE groups were compared on outcomes including symptoms of depression and anxiety, perceived cognitive difficulties, neurobehavioral dysregulation, and self-reported health conditions (e.g., headaches, sleep apnea, hypertension, chronic pain, memory loss, dementia/Alzheimer's disease, and others). RESULTS: = 0.001) only. Multivariable models adjusting for age, race, body mass index, playing position, number of professional seasons, and past concussion burden revealed no significant relationships between AFE < 12 and any outcome. Linear and non-linear models examining AFE as a continuous variable showed similar null results. CONCLUSIONS: In a large cohort of former professional American-style football players, AFE was not independently associated with adverse later life outcomes. These findings are inconsistent with smaller studies of former professional football players. Studies...