Severe Cheerleading Injuries Seen in a Sample of United States Emergency Departments from 2003-2015

Undergraduates: Savannah Dennis, Melissa Kay

Faculty Advisor: Kristen Kucera
Department: Exercise & Sport Science

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According to the National Center on Catastrophic Sport Injury Research (NCCSIR), 66.5% of all direct catastrophic injuries among high school and collegiate female athletes from 1982-2013 are from cheer alone. NCCSIR relies on media monitoring and voluntary reporting which doesn¿¿¿t capture all events. Emergency department (ED) data can provide additional information about severe cheer injuries. This study will examine the epidemiology of severe cheerleading injuries seen in 100 U.S. hospital EDs between 2003-2015. The Consumer Product Safety Commission¿¿¿s National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) database was utilized to examine severe cheerleading injuries seen in hospital EDs over the defined time period. There were a total of 250 severe injuries within this sample; with a national estimate of 4,777 total ED visits due to cheerleading injuries. Of these severe injuries, 70.8% required hospitalization, 18.4% were held for observation at the care center, and 10.8% were transferred. Additionally, 58.0% were among those ages of 12¿¿¿16. The majority of cheerleading injuries (87.2%) occurred during school and extracurricular activities. Of the total injuries sustained, 52.4% were fractures, and 13.2% were concussions. According to this data, the injuries in cheerleading can be severe and justify surveillance and injury prevention measures.