Citation

Black AM, Macpherson AK, Hagel BE, Romiti MA, Palacios-Derflingher L, Kang J, Meeuwisse WH, Emery CA. Br. J. Sports Med. 2016; 50(1): 55-61.

Affiliation

Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada Department of Pediatrics, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute for Child & Maternal Health, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, BMJ Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1136/bjsports-2015-095103

PMID

26702018

Abstract

BACKGROUND: In ice hockey, body checking is associated with an increased risk of injury. In 2011, provincial policy change disallowed body checking in non-elite Pee Wee (ages 11-12 years) leagues.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the risk of injury and concussion between non-elite Pee Wee ice hockey players in leagues where body checking is permitted (2011-12 Alberta, Canada) and leagues where policy change disallowed body checking (2011-12 Ontario, Canada).

METHOD: Non-elite Pee Wee players (lower 70%) from Alberta (n=590) and Ontario (n=281) and elite Pee Wee players (upper 30%) from Alberta (n=294) and Ontario (n=166) were recruited to participate in a cohort study. Baseline information, injury and exposure data was collected using validated injury surveillance.

RESULTS: Based on multiple Poisson regression analyses (adjusted for clustering by team, exposure hours, year of play, history of injury/concussion, level of play, position and body checking attitude), the incidence rate ratio (IRR) associated with policy allowing body checking was 2.97 (95% CI 1.33 to 6.61) for all game injury and 2.83 (95% CI 1.09 to 7.31) for concussion. There were no differences between provinces in concussion [IRR=1.50 (95% CI 0.84 to 2.68)] or injury risk [IRR=1.22 (95% CI 0.69 to 2.16)] in elite levels of play where both provinces allowed body checking.

CONCLUSIONS: The rate of injury and concussion were threefold greater in non-elite Pee Wee ice hockey players in leagues where body checking was permitted. The rate of injury and concussion did not differ between provinces in elite levels, where body checking was allowed.

Language: en