A - 53 Age of First Exposure to Football and Later-Life Health Issues in Community-Dwelling Adults

This study assessed whether age of first exposure (AFE) to football was associated with later-life psychiatric and neurobehavioral symptoms, cognitive difficulties, and general health problems in a cohort of former amateur football players. A cross-sectional survey study of men with a history of amateur football exposure was conducted using the ResearchMatch online platform. Independent variables included demographics, number of lifetime concussions, AFE to football (dichotomized as AFE < 12 years vs. AFE ≥ 12 years), and total years of football participation. Main outcomes included current depressive (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorders-7), cognitive (British Columbia Cognitive Complaints Inventory), and neurobehavioral symptoms (Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory). T-tests (AFE < 12 vs. AFE ≥ 12) and multivariable regressions assessed for associations between AFE and outcome variables, adjusting for age, number of prior concussions, and years of football exposure. A total of 107 male participants (mean age = 60.6 ± 15.1 years) reported an average of 4.2 ± 2.7 years of exposure to amateur football, with 41 participants reporting AFE < 12 (38.3%). In multivariable analyses, AFE < 12 was not a significant predictor of depressive (B = 0.51, SE = 1.25, p = 0.682), anxiety (B = 0.09, SE = 0.95, p = 0.926), cognitive (B = -0.65, SE = 0.77, p = 0.403), or neurobehavioral symptom scores (B = -0.56, SE = 2.93, p = 0.850). However, having more prior concussions were associated with worse depressive (B = 0.44, SE = 0.10, p < 0.001), anxiety (B = 0.33, SE = 0.07, p < 0.001), cognitive (B = 0.26, SE = 0.06, p < 0.001), and neurobehavioral symptoms (B = 1.04, SE = 0.23, p < 0.001). AFE to football was not associated with adverse psychiatric, cognitive, or neurobehavioral difficulties. However, these outcomes were associated with a greater number of lifetime concussions.