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Background: While prevention protocols have been implemented, skiing-related musculoskeletal injuries and concussions continue to present to emergency departments in the United States. Previous literature has suggested the pediatric population may constitute up to 40% of skiing-related injuries. Purpose: To assess injury trends and the underlying mechanisms of skiing injuries in pediatric patients seen at emergency departments in the United States. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiology study. Methods: The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) was queried for pediatric (age ≤18 years) skiing injuries between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2022. Injury mechanism, location, disposition, and diagnosis were recorded, and the statistical sample weight assigned by NEISS by hospital was used to calculate national estimates (NEs). Injury trends were evaluated with linear regression analysis. Results: Overall, 2951 pediatric skiing injuries were included (NE = 123,386). The mean age of the patients was 12.4 ± 3.5 years, with 61.3% of the injuries occurring in male patients. Impact with the ground was the most common injury mechanism (NE = 87,407; 70.8%). Fractures were the most common diagnosis (NE = 38,527, 31.2%), followed by strains/sprains (NE = 22,562, 18.3%), contusions/abrasions (NE = 16,257, 13.2%), and concussions (NE = 12,449, 10.1%). The lower leg was the most common fracture site (NE = 9509, 24.7%), followed by the shoulder (NE = 7131, 18.5%) and lower arm (NE = 5876, 15.3%). Analysis of annual injuries revealed no significant trend between 2012 and 2022 (P =.17), with fluctuations apparent throughout the study period. Significant decreases were seen in strains/sprains (P <.01) and contusions/abrasions (P <.01), but not in concussions (P =.57) or fractures (P =.70). Conclusion: Impacts with the snow/ground made up 70.8% of all injuries. Fractures were the most common injury diagnosis, followed by strains/sprains, with the lower leg being most frequently fractured. While strains/sprains and contusions/abrasions showed a significant decline, there were no significant trends in fractures and concussions between 2012 and 2022. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: While vaccines are crucial for disease prevention, disparities in vaccination coverage persist among youths aged 10 to 29 years, including within the United States. Serious games are emerging as a new strategy to address vaccine hesitancy. This systematic review aimed to aggregate and assess the current evidence on game-based interventions to improve youth vaccination rates, evaluating their impact and identifying factors influencing their effectiveness. Methods: This systematic review was conducted through a meticulous search and evaluation of literature from databases including PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature database, ProQuest platform, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar. Studies were included if they (a) were designed with the purpose of improving youth vaccination rates; (b) were published in English; (c) were published between January 2011 and June 2023; and (d) evaluated the effect of game-based interventions. Search terms included Medical Subject Headings terms and keywords of the eligible articles. Results: Out of 269 studies, 11 were included in the final analysis of this review. The earliest study dated back to 2013, with 5 being randomized controlled trial and 6 studies incorporating theoretical models in their design or outcome measures. The findings indicated a generally positive effect of game-based interventions on vaccine-related knowledge. However, the impact on actual vaccine uptake was limited. In-game avatar customization and collaboration games were found as effective tools for player engagement. Conclusion: The review findings indicated that serious games boost vaccine knowledge but lack strong evidence for influencing youth vaccine uptake. More rigorous research and tailored game designs are needed to determine the effectiveness of game-based interventions and effectively address the diverse needs of youth in vaccine decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There has been little focus on concussions in youth lacrosse players in the United States. Purpose: To provide a descriptive analysis of the epidemiology and incidence of concussions in youth lacrosse and compare the results with well-documented analyses of concussions in youth American football. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiology study. Methods: Data on concussions in pediatric patients playing lacrosse from 2006 to 2019 were collected using the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS). Weighted calculations and combined participation data obtained from membership in USA Lacrosse were used to estimate injury incidence. A comparison dataset was created using the NEISS data on youth football-related concussions. The cause of concussion was categorized into player-to-player, player-to-stick, player-to-ball, or player-to-ground contact. Results: A total of 37,974 concussion injuries related to lacrosse were identified in players with a mean age of 14.5 ± 3.5 years; 70% of concussions occurred in boys. National participation in lacrosse increased from 2006 to 2011 by a mean of 10.3% annually, followed by a lower annual growth rate of 2.5% from 2012 to 2019. The overall incidence of concussion injuries increased over the study period (r = 0.314), with the incidence rate in boys being greater than that of girls from 2009 to 2013. The most common cause of concussion was player-to-ground contact for boys and player-to-ball or player-to-stick contact for girls. The mean annual concussion incidences in youth lacrosse and youth football were 443 and 355 per 100,000 participants, respectively. Conclusion: Over the study period, 16% of lacrosse injuries were diagnosed as concussions, a higher mean annual incidence per 100,000 participants than that of youth football (443 vs 355). The cause of concussion was different based on sex, with higher rates of player-to-ball or player-to-stick contact in female players versus player-to-ground contact in male players. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite increasing participation rates in youth gymnastics, the majority of epidemiologic literature focuses on older elite athletes or stratifies athletes by level of competition. Hypothesis: The authors hypothesized that sex- and age-based patterns in youth gymnastics–related injuries exist, which are otherwise overlooked in an unstratified population. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiology study. Methods: Publicly available injury data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System were collected on pediatric gymnastics injuries presenting to emergency departments in the United States. Participation data from the National Sporting Goods Association were used to calculate national injury incidence rates in 7- to 11-year-olds (childhood) and 12- to 17-year-olds (adolescence) from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2018. Z tests were conducted for the comparison of injury rates between girls and boys within each age group and for overall injury rate across age groups. Results: Girls participated in gymnastics at a frequency 6.5 times that of boys in childhood and 13.5 times that of boys in adolescence. An estimated 72,542 youth gymnastics–related injuries were reported in US emergency departments each year. A large proportion (61.3%) occurred in childhood, with female predominance in both age groups. Overall, there was no difference in weighted annual injury rate (injuries per 100,000 athlete-days per year) by age group (6.9 [childhood] vs 8.8 [adolescence]; P =.19) or sex (7.4 [girls] vs 8.1 [boys]; P =.65). In adolescence, boys were more likely than girls to experience injury (16.47 vs 8.2; P =.003). Wrist and lower arm fractures were more common in childhood than adolescence (1.07 vs 0.43; P =.002) and specifically in girls (childhood vs adolescence, 1.06 vs 0.37; P =.001). Ankle injuries and concussions were more common in adolescence vs childhood (P =.01 and.0002). Conclusion: Upper extremity injuries predominated among childhood gymnasts, particularly girls. In adolescence, girls and boys experienced increases in concussions and foot and ankle injuries. Although representing a lower overall number of training gymnasts as compared with girls, adolescent boys experience a higher rate of injuries overall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]