Avinash Chandran

Datalys Center for Sports Injury Research and Prevention, Inc.

Middle school (MS) is an intermediary level of education between elementary and secondary school that typically includes students aged 10-15 years. There is limited research within the MS sport setting, particularly related to sport-related injury prevention. This qualitative study aimed to better understand the sport culture within MS sports and t...

Background: Relationships between the constructs of concussion-related knowledge, attitudes, and norms and their influence on observed care-seeking behaviors have previously been examined. Current models posit that these constructs serve as potential mediators of care-seeking behaviors; however, the dynamics between them have yet to be reconciled....

Objective: Investigate associations between the LIfestyle for BRAin Health (LIBRA) risk score with odds of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) diagnosis and cognitive function, incorporating concussion history. Methods: Former National Football League (NFL) players (N = 1050; mean age = 64.8 ± 9.0-years) completed initial testing for integration of...

Following highly publicized stories of student-athletes' struggles with mental health, the spotlight on mental health and well-being in this special issue coincides with a broader growing concern for the long-term impact of competitive sport participation on student-athlete health and wellness. The end of a competitive sport career represents a pot...

Context Lower extremity osteoarthritis (OA) is associated with a 25% greater risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared to those without OA. The prevalence of traumatic joint injuries among National Football League (NFL) players exposes these athletes to an elevated risk for osteoarthritis (OA) and potentially a greater risk of cardiovascular ri...

This survey study involves asking participants about their opinions on positive and negative character traits of male and female clinicians dressed in 4 different colors of scrub suits.

Background: Epidemiological studies of lateral ankle sprains in NCAA sports are important in appraising the burden of this injury and informing prevention efforts. Purpose: To describe the epidemiology of lateral ankle sprains in NCAA sports during the 2014-15 through 2018-19 seasons. Study design: Descriptive epidemiology study. Methods: In...

Background The age of first exposure (AFE) to American football participation is a growing concern for late-life function. Mixed evidence exists surrounding AFE and may be attributed to varied methods employed across studies. Objective To examine the associations between AFE to American football participation with measures of cognitive, behavioral...

Background: An association has been identified between concussion and lower extremity musculoskeletal injury (LEMSKI) after return to sports participation. However, the collegiate student-athlete studies have relied on relatively small single-institution studies, which limits generalizability. Purpose: To assess odds of, and time to, LEMSKI afte...

Objectives Subjective cognitive difficulties (SCDs) are associated with factors commonly reported in older adults and former contact sport athletes, regardless of objective cognitive decline. We investigated the relative contribution of these factors to SCD in former National Football League (NFL)-players with and without a diagnosis of mild cognit...

Objectives To examine the stability of former National Football League (NFL) players’ recall of professional football concussion. Methods Two-hundred-and-nine former NFL players (ceasing football participation before/in 2001) completed surveys in 2001, 2010, and 2019 and reported the number of concussions sustained during their professional career...

Sport-related concussion (SRC) is a complex injury, and SRCs are notably prevalent among National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) athletes. We analysed SRCs and associated exposure data collected within the NCAA Injury Surveillance Program during 2014-2019. A total of 1,709 SRCs were reported with complete symptom profiles during the study p...

Objective This study examined how associations of self-reported concussion history and depression vary based on different variable characterizations. Methods Former NFL players (n = 1,697) completed a General Health Survey, indicating the number of concussions they sustained during their football career and whether a physician had diagnosed them wi...

Objectives Hamstring tears are one of the most common muscular injuries seen in athletes [1]. These injuries are especially prevalent in sports associated with sprinting or jumping, with previous literature indicating that football, soccer, and track athletes are most at risk [1]. Hamstring injuries are classified into strains (Grade I), partial te...

Transition from professional sport to nonsport endeavors has implications for postcareer health and well-being of athletes. The purpose of the current study was to examine associations among transition-related psychosocial factors and current mental health outcomes in former National Football League (NFL) players. Participants were former NFL playe...

Background Potential links between a history of sport-related concussions and later-life neurobiological and psychological brain health have been studied in former collision-sport athletes. However, empirical studies of how former athletes perceive the future of their brain health as a result of these injuries are missing. Objectives We aimed to (...

Context Continued monitoring of ankle sprain rates and distributions is needed to assess temporal patterns and gauge how changes in incidence may be associated with prevention efforts. Objective Describe the epidemiology of ankle sprains in 15 high school sports during the 2011/12–2018/19 school years. Study Design Descriptive epidemiology study....

Statement of Purpose Describe the epidemiology of injuries in high school (HS) girls’ and collegiate women’s soccer (2014/15–2018/19), and examine self-reported health status in former women’s soccer athletes. Methods/Approach We analyzed data collected within the NATION Surveillance Program (HS), the NCAA Injury Surveillance Program, and a genera...

Context: Volleyball is a popular sport with a risk of injury to the entire body. Insight into non-time-loss (NTL) and time-loss (TL) injuries is needed to inform seasonal injury trends that may lead to appropriate prevention and management strategies. This study provides a descriptive analysis of volleyball injuries among secondary school athletes...

Background Updated epidemiology studies examining sports-related concussions (SRCs) are critical in evaluating recent efforts aimed at reducing the incidence of SRCs in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) sports. Purpose To describe the epidemiology of SRCs in 23 NCAA sports during the 2014/15-2018/19 academic years. Study Design Desc...

Higher prevalence rates of Alzheimer’s disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) have been reported among former National Football League (NFL) players. Ethnoracial minorities comprise a large proportion of NFL players; among the general population, they experience higher rates of CVD. Ethnoracial minority group membersh...

Background and Purpose Postmortem and experimental studies indicate a potential association between repeated concussions and stroke risk in older contact sport athletes. We examined the relationship between concussion and stroke history in former National Football League players aged ≥50 years. Methods Former professional football players aged ≥50...

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This cross-sectional study assessed concussion symptom knowledge of parents of middle school (MS) children (aged 10–15 years) through a free-response item that solicited concussion symptoms and compared findings to a pre-validated scale-based measure. A self-administered online questionnaire was sent to a panel of randomly selected United States re...

Objective This study investigated the longitudinal course of depressive symptom severity over 19 years in former American football players and the influence of concussion history, contact sport participation and physical function on observed trajectories. Methods Former American football players completed a general health questionnaire involving d...

The Pediatric Collections: Sports Medicine Playbook will increase pediatric providers’ understanding of the injuries that young athletes may incur – including their history, treatment, and prevention. Each section includes a unique expert introduction and they cover such topics as the benefits of physical activity, injuries, and concerns including...

Purpose: To estimate prevalences of MCI and dementia diagnoses in former National Football League (NFL) players ≥50 years old and examine the relationships among these diagnoses and an array of predictors of long-term brain health. Methods: A cross-section of former NFL players (n = 922; aged [mean ± SD] 64.8 ± 8.9 years) completed a questionnai...

Athlete transition from American collegiate sport participation, to non-sport careers or professional sport, has been a topic of contemporary sport science research but it is still not well understood, especially in female athlete populations. Informed by extant transition theory, the current study purpose was to describe the transition experiences...

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in changes to the structure of sport and the experiences of athletes. In this commentary, we consider how these changes, including schedule disruptions and the early termination of careers, have contributed to a reconsideration of how athlete transition should be defined, examined, and intervened upon. We outline...

Context: Basketball has remained a popular sport for players and spectators in the United States since before the first National Collegiate Athletic Association men's championship tournament in 1939. Background: Routine examinations of men's basketball injuries are important for identifying emerging temporal patterns. Methods: Exposure and inj...

Context: Women's softball athletes account for approximately 9% of all female athletes competing within the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Background: Routine surveillance of NCAA women's softball injuries is important for identifying the emerging injury patterns in this sport. Methods: Exposure and injury data collected duri...

Context: The National Collegiate Athletic Association has sponsored men's cross-country programs since 1938, and the sport has grown greatly in scope since then. Background: Routine examinations of men's cross-country injuries are important for identifying emerging temporal patterns. Methods: Exposure and injury data collected in the National...

Context: Women's cross-country is a thriving sport at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) level with over 1000 sponsored programs association-wide. Background: Routine examinations of women's cross-country injuries are important for identifying emerging time trends in injury incidence and outcomes. Methods: Exposure and injury...

Context: The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has sponsored women's tennis programs since 1966. Women's tennis has risen in global prominence and popularity within the NCAA. Background: Continued surveillance of athletic injuries in the NCAA is critical for identifying emerging injury trends and assessing injury prevention strateg...

Context: The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has sponsored men's swimming and diving since 1937. Background: Routine examinations of men's swimming and diving injuries are important for identifying emerging injury-related patterns. Methods: Exposure and injury data collected in the NCAA Injury Surveillance Program during the 20...

Context: Women's gymnastics athletes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) constitute a unique population of NCAA athletes given the nature and dynamics of the sport. Background: Routine examination of women's gymnastics injuries is important for identifying the evolving burden of injuries in this sport. Methods: Exposure and...

Context: College athletes have been competing in championship track and field events since 1921; the numbers of competing teams and participating athletes have expanded considerably. Background: Monitoring injuries of men's track and field athletes using surveillance systems is critical in identifying emerging injury-related patterns. Methods:...

Context: Frequent inspection of sports-related injury epidemiology among National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) women's basketball student-athletes is valuable for identifying injury-related patterns. Background: Emerging patterns in epidemiology of NCAA women's basketball injuries are unknown though general sports medicine practices, a...

Context: Women's volleyball is a globally popular sport with widespread participation at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) level. Background: Routine examinations of NCAA women's volleyball injuries are important for recognizing emerging injury-related patterns in this population. Methods: Exposure and injury data collected i...

Context: Women's track and field events at the National Collegiate Athletic Association level have grown in popularity in recent years, and track and field athletes are vulnerable to a broad range of potential injuries. Background: Routine examination of track and field injuries is important for identifying emerging patterns in injury incidence....

Context: The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has sponsored women's ice hockey championships since 2001, and sponsorship has grown over time. Background: Routine examinations of injuries sustained by athletes are important for identifying and understanding patterns that can be used to inform sport safety practices. Methods: Expo...

Context: Lacrosse is an increasingly popular sport; the number of teams participating in collegiate women's lacrosse has increased by 21.4% in the past 5 years. Background: The growth of National Collegiate Athletic Association women's lacrosse, coupled with the ongoing discussions surrounding protective equipment, necessitates further epidemiol...

Context: The National Collegiate Athletic Association held the first women's soccer championship in 1982; sponsorship and participation have greatly increased since. Background: Routine examinations of athlete injuries are important for identifying emerging temporal patterns. Methods: Exposure and injury data collected in the National Collegia...

Context: The National Collegiate Athletic Association has supported men's baseball championships since 1947. Since its inception, the number of participating teams and athletes has considerably expanded. Background: Frequently conducting injury surveillance of collegiate baseball athletes is essential for identifying developing temporal patterns...

Context: Football is among the most popular collegiate sports in the United States, and participation in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) football has risen in recent years. Background: Continued monitoring of football injuries is important for capturing the evolving burden of injuries in NCAA football. The purpose of this study w...

Context: The number of women's swimming and diving teams sponsored by the National Collegiate Athletic Association has increased over the last 5 years. Background: Routine examinations of women's swimming and diving injuries are important for identifying emerging temporal patterns. Methods: Exposure and injury data collected in the National Co...

Background: Since 1982, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has collaborated with athletic trainers (ATs) to create the largest ongoing collegiate sports injury database in the world. This report provides an operational update of the NCAA Injury Surveillance Program (NCAA ISP) during the academic years 2014-2015 through 2018-2019....

Context: The first men's wrestling National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship was sponsored in 1928; since then, participation has increased. Background: Continued study of wrestling injury data is essential to identify areas for intervention based on emerging trends. Methods: Exposure and injury data collected in the NCAA In...

Context: The National Collegiate Athletic Association has sponsored men's soccer programs since 1959, and the popularity of the sport has grown over time. Background: Routine examinations of athlete injuries are important for identifying emerging temporal patterns. Methods: Exposure and injury data collected in the National Collegiate Athletic...

Context: The popularity of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men's lacrosse has been steadily increasing since the early 1980s. Background: Injury surveillance is an important tool to aid in identifying emerging patterns of sport-related injury in NCAA men's lacrosse. Methods: Injury data collected from a sample of men's lacrosse...

Context: The National Collegiate Athletic Association has sponsored women's field hockey since 1981, and team membership as well as student-athlete participation has grown over time. Background: Routine examinations of injuries sustained by athletes are important for identifying and understanding patterns that can be used to inform sport safety...

Context: The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has sponsored men's tennis programs since 1982. The popularity of tennis has grown, as has sponsorship of men's tennis within NCAA institutions. Background: Continued monitoring of athletic injuries is important for identifying emerging temporal patterns. Methods: Exposure and injury...

Context: The National Collegiate Athletic Association has supported men's ice hockey, a distinct sport that mandates high-velocity gamesmanship, since 1974. Background: Injury surveillance systems are designed to identify evolving injury trends and their temporal qualities. Continual monitoring of collegiate men's ice hockey athletes remains ess...

Objective To evaluate the evidence regarding the association between lateral ankle sprain (LAS) history and the subsequent LAS risk, as well as sex differences in the observed associations. Data Sources PubMed, CINAHL, and SPORTDiscus were searched through July 2020 for articles on LAS history and incidence during the study period. Study Selectio...

Background: Understanding parents' concussion-related knowledge and attitudes will contribute to the development of strategies that aim to improve concussion prevention and sport safety for elementary school children. This study investigated the association between parent- and child-related factors and concussion symptom knowledge and care-seeking...

Lower-extremity injuries are common among soccer players, yet few studies have attempted to identify determinants of lower-extremity injury severity and recovery within this group. We aim to identify determinants of lower-extremity injury severity and recovery among high school (HS) soccer players in the US. We used soccer-related injury observatio...

Background The long-term effects of concussions have led to concerns regarding former professional American football players’ post-career transitions. This cross-sectional study examines post-career transition experiences of former players retiring due to brain-health concerns. Methods Former players (n=1,784), recruited via National Football Leag...

Objectives Years of sport participation (YoP) is conventionally used to estimate cumulative repetitive head impacts (RHI) experienced by contact sport athletes. The relationship of this measure to other estimates of head impact exposure and the potential associations of these measures with neurobehavioral functioning are unknown. We investigated th...

Objective To identify subgroups of former National Football League (NFL) players using latent profile analysis (LPA) and examine their associations with total years of participation (TYP) and self-reported lifetime sport-related concussion history (SR-CHx). Methods Former NFL players (N=686) aged 50–70 years, with an average 18.0 TYP (±4.5) comple...

Objectives To examine the relationships among self-reported sport-related concussion (SRC) history and current health-promoting behaviours (exercise frequency, diet quality and sleep duration) with self-reported measures of brain health (cognitive function, symptoms of depression and anxiety and emotional–behavioural dyscontrol) in former NFL playe...

Background: Research in youth sports is often complex. As interest in youth sports injury prevention grows, scientists should consider community priorities beyond a specific research study. Main text: This commentary discusses the authors' personal experiences researching concussion prevention in middle school sports, as the overarching communit...

Objective: To evaluate the evidence surrounding the association between lateral ankle sprain (LAS) history and subsequent LAS risk, as well as sex-differences in the observed associations. Data sources: PubMed, CINAHL, and SPORTDiscus were searched through July 2020 for articles reporting LAS injury history and injury incidence during a study pe...

Background: The National Athletic Treatment, Injury, and Outcomes Network Surveillance Program (NATION-SP) was established in 2011 to provide a comprehensive appraisal of injuries sustained by high school student-athletes receiving services from athletic trainers (ATs). The purpose of this manuscript is to update the surveillance methodology of NA...