Association of Use of a Mobile Tackling Dummy During College Football Practice With Reduced Sport-Related Concussion: Results of a Pilot Investigation

Author:

Aita Stephen L.12,Muchintala Rohan3,Suresh Advith3,Patel Suraj3,Schuler Benjamin4,Lichtenstein Jonathan D.135

Affiliation:

1. Department of Psychiatry, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA

2. Department of Mental Health, VA Maine Healthcare System, Augusta, Maine, USA

3. The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA

4. Department of Sports Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA

5. Department of Psychiatry, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA

Abstract

Background: Considering the multifaceted consequences of improperly managed sport-related concussions (SRCs) in American football, identifying efficacious prevention measures for enhancing player safety is crucial. Purpose: To investigate the association of primary prevention measures (no-tackle practices and using a mobile tackling dummy in practice) with the frequency of SRCs within college football programs in the United States. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiology study. Methods: In this pilot study, we analyzed the frequency of new SRCs recorded during various settings (total, in preseason, in season, in practice, and game) across 14 seasons (2007-2019 and 2021) for Dartmouth College and across 7 seasons (2013-2019) for the 7 other teams in the Ivy League men’s athletic football conference. Trends between seasons and the number of SRCs sustained were examined using correlations and basic descriptive statistics. We also examined SRC frequency in relation to primary prevention measures (no-tackle practices, use of mobile tackling dummies during practice) in the Dartmouth College football program, and we compared SRCs with regard to the no-tackle practice policy in the other Ivy League teams. Results: There was a statistically significant reduction in the number of SRCs over the seasons studied, with the strongest finding observed for Dartmouth College in-game SRCs ( r = −0.52; P = .029). Relatedly, the strongest between-season effect was seen for the Dartmouth College practice policy on in-game SRCs (η2 = 0.510; P = .01). The use of mobile tackling dummies was found to be independently associated (adjusting for no-tackle practice) with a lower number total (β = −0.53; P = .049), in-season (β = −0.63; P = .023), and in-game (β = −0.79; P = .003) SRCs. While seasons with the no-tackle practice were not meaningfully associated with SRCs for Dartmouth College, stronger trends were observed in the other Ivy League teams, such that seasons with this policy were associated with lower SRC prevalence. Conclusion: Our data indicate that the use of the mobile tackling dummy in practice was related to the reduced number of SRCs sustained at multiple settings during the football season. To a lesser extent, the no-tackle practice policy was also associated with a reduced number of SRCs.

Publisher

SAGE Publications

Reference19 articles.

1. Belson K. Ivy League moves to eliminate tackling at football practices. New York Times. Published March 1, 2016. Accessed July 28, 2023. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/02/sports/ncaafootball/ivy-league-moves-to-eliminate-tackling-at-practices.html

2. A review of mild head trauma. part I: Meta-analytic review of neuropsychological studies

3. Factors Associated With Delayed Concussion Reporting by United States Service Academy Cadets

4. The Economic Burden of Pediatric Postconcussive Syndrome

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