June 27, 2024 – Starting to play American football before the age of 12 does not seem to result in negative health effects later in life, according to a study conducted by researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
The study, published on June 26 in Sports Medicine, was co-authored by Rachel Grashow, a senior research scientist in Harvard Chan School’s Department of Environmental Health. Grashow is also the director of epidemiological research initiatives and a co-investigator for the Family Experiences Managing Football Lives project under the Football Players Health Study at Harvard University. Other contributors from Harvard Chan School included Ran Rotem and Marc Weisskopf.
Previous research has indicated that beginning football at a younger age might be associated with poorer outcomes in later life, such as cognitive issues and depression. However, these studies often had small sample sizes and relied on participants who self-reported cognitive, behavioral, and/or mood symptoms. Larger studies have not confirmed this link.
To investigate further, researchers examined data from nearly 4,200 former professional football players. These players were categorized based on whether they started playing football before or after the age of 12. The participants completed surveys regarding symptoms of depression and anxiety, perceived cognitive difficulties, neurobehavioral dysregulation, and self-reported health conditions such as headaches, sleep apnea, hypertension, chronic pain, memory loss, and dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.
After adjusting for variables like age, race, body mass index, playing position, number of professional seasons, and past concussion history, the researchers found no significant associations between starting football before age 12 and adverse health outcomes later in life.
The authors suggested that future longitudinal cohort studies could help identify potentially harmful aspects of youth football. Such research could aid parents and healthcare professionals in weighing the benefits of football—such as cardiovascular fitness, mentorship, community support, teamwork, and self-esteem—against its potential risks.
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