Dataset Information

Cognitive ability and educational level in relation to concussion: a population study of young men.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

To investigate the association of concussion with cognitive ability (CA) and educational level (EL).

Design

Epidemiological-cross-linkage of national computer registers.

Setting

Denmark.

Participants

130 420 young men appearing before the Danish draft board during the period 2006-2010.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

CA test scores, EL and occurrence of concussion during the period 2004-2009, treated either in an A&E unit or upon admission to a hospital ward.

Results

The 3067 men who had suffered a concussion had lower CAs (mean=96.5, SD=15, 95% CI 95.0 to 97.0) than the total cohort and they were lower for 1452 who were admitted to a hospital ward (mean CA=95.8, SD=15, 95% CI 95.1 to 96.6) than for 1615 who were treated only at an A&E unit (mean CA=97.1, SD=15, 95% CI 96.3 to 98.0). Multiple logistic regressions revealed that the effects for EL were stronger than those for CA. Among 127 353 men not sustaining a concussion, 48% attended a 'gymnasium' (sixth-form college), among men treated for a concussion at an A&E unit, this falls to 36% and among men hospitalised for a concussion to 30%. Transfer to a gymnasium, if it happens, almost invariably does so before the 18th birthday. Among 701 men suffering a concussion and admitted to a hospital department after this date, only 26% (n=182) were previously transferred to a gymnasium. Among the 804 men treated at an A&E unit after their 18th birthday, 33% (n=265) had done so. These two percentages are significantly below the corresponding non-concussed population (48%).

Conclusions

Taken together, the results suggest that lower CA and, in particular, lower EL are risk factors for sustaining a concussion, the risk increasing with the severity of the injury.

SUBMITTER: Teasdale TW

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3612768 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Cognitive ability and educational level in relation to concussion: a population study of young men.

Teasdale Thomas William TW Frøsig Anna Julie AJ

BMJ open 20130309 3

<h4>Objectives</h4>To investigate the association of concussion with cognitive ability (CA) and educational level (EL).<h4>Design</h4>Epidemiological-cross-linkage of national computer registers.<h4>Setting</h4>Denmark.<h4>Participants</h4>130 420 young men appearing before the Danish draft board during the period 2006-2010.<h4>Primary and secondary outcome measures</h4>CA test scores, EL and occurrence of concussion during the period 2004-2009, treated either in an A&E unit or upon admission to ...[more]

PMID: 23474792

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Project description:BackgroundThere is little research on differences in Emotional Intelligence (EI) ability at different stages of adult development. The few published studies tend not to use older adult samples. Previous studies on EI ability and age have shown contradictory results. Our main objective was to evaluate results in EI ability across different stages of adult development, taking into account gender, depressive symptoms, and educational level.MethodsWe interviewed 166 participants (108 women), 66 of whom were aged 18-30 years, 53 aged 31-60 years, and 40 aged 61-76 years. All were either working or enrolled in colleges at the time of the study. The assessment tools used were the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT), a test that assesses performance-based EI, and the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression (CES-D) scale, a tool to evaluate depressive symptoms.ResultsYoung people, women, and participants with a higher educational level achieved higher scores on the MSCEIT. Additionally, depressive symptomatology was only partially associated with the MSCEIT (i.e., with the using emotions branch). However, a subsequent joint analysis of the independent effects of variables age, gender, educational level, and depressive symptomatology and their interactions on MSCEIT total suggests that only educational level and depressive symptomatology were associated with EI ability, with the direct relationship between age and gender with MSCEIT disappearing. Additionally, our study indicated an interaction effect between age and depressive symptoms, showing that participants in age cohorts 18-30 and 31-60 and without depressive symptoms have a higher EI ability.DiscussionOur study suggests that the direct effects of age and gender on EI ability across adult development, using a wide age range, can change or disappear when effects of educational level and depressive symptomatology, and their interactions, are controlled for. Our results also suggest that EI ability is a protective factor against depression in some age cohorts. This novel aspect of our study does not appear in the previous literature. However, prospective studies are needed to verify these findings and examine whether other psychological variables could determine the relations between age, gender and EI ability across adult development.

Dataset Information

Cognitive ability and educational level in relation to concussion: a population study of young men.

Objectives

Design

Setting

Participants

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Cognitive ability and educational level in relation to concussion: a population study of young men.

Similar Datasets

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