Head impacts in youth national hockey leagues in Slovakia: a retrospective analysis of four seasons

Traumatic brain injury in contact sports can lead to serious health consequences either immediately or later in the life of injured subjects. The objective of this study was to estimate the incidence of head impacts in the Under 18 (U18) and Under 20 (U20) junior ice-hockey leagues in Slovakia over the seasons 2013/2014-2016/2017 using data from official game statistics. Incidence risks (IR) per 1000 athlete exposures were calculated for the season and stratified by a period of the game, by month, round, and part of the season. IR of head impacts ranged from 2.09 (95%CI: 2.07-2.12) to 2.89 (95%CI: 2.87-2.92) in the U18 league and from 2.14 (95%CI: 2.12-2.17) to 4.06 (95%CI: 4.02-4.09) in the U20. Higher IR was observed in the latter periods of games. This study brings first data on the incidence of concussions in youth ice-hockey leagues in Slovakia and calls for immediate implementation of measures to prevent these injuries.