Abstract
Background: All athletes are at risk for concussion, including athletes with intellectual disability. Special Olympics (SO) provides sport opportunities for 45,000 individuals with intellectual disability in Canada each year. However, demographic and sport-related factors affecting concussion experiences for SO athletes are unknown.
Purpose: Examine whether demographic characteristics and sport participation of SO athletes in Canada predict their concussion history.
Methods: Secondary analysis of retrospective survey data collected from SO athletes (N = 241) and caregivers (N=25) at three National and Provincial SO Games in 2024 was conducted. A binomial logistic regression was employed to predict athlete concussion history (previous concussion or not) from demographic characteristics (age, gender, ethnicity) and sport participation (Chapter, competition level, high-risk concussion sport, winter and summer sports).
Results: A total of 257 surveys (66% men, mean age=33.9 years, 67% provincial-level) were included in the analysis. Across the sample, 27% of athletes (62% men, mean age=34.2 years, 67% provincial-level) had a concussion history. The regression model explained 20.2% of the variance (R2) in concussion history. Provincial-level athletes were 4.2 times more likely to have a history of concussion compared to national-level athletes (p=0.031). No other factors included in the model significantly contributed to the explained variance in concussion history.
Discussion: Understanding demographic and sport-related participation factors affecting concussion history in SO athletes can systematically identify areas for targeted concussion prevention and education strategies. The implementation of these strategies can lead to safer sport participation for SO athletes in Canada, and beyond.
