Concussions in youth sports are a rising health concern. Between 1.7- and 3-million concussions occur each year in youth sport and recreation settings. This qualitative study investigated how parents assess the physical and social risks of allowing their children to participate in tackle football. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 sets of parents (N = 24) who had permitted their middle school aged children to play on tackle football teams. Guided by the theory of planned behavior, findings illustrate the complex risk decisions parents must make regarding football participation. Although parents in our study acknowledged the risk of concussions, they identified cognitive and social benefits of football participation that shaped positive attitudes toward football outcomes. Participants also noted social factors that limited control over their children’s football participation, including community pressures. The findings indicate key factors that motivate football enrollment, as parents must consider competing goals for their child of protection and development. Future research directions, theoretical implications, and practical applications are discussed.

中文翻译：

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“它也可能对您的大脑有益”：认知和社会利益，促使父母允许青少年足球比赛

青年运动中的脑震荡是人们日益关注的健康问题。在青年体育和娱乐场所，每年发生170万至300万例脑震荡。这项定性研究调查了父母如何评估允许其子女参加足球比赛的身体和社会风险。对12组家长（N = 24）进行了半结构化访谈，他们允许他们的中学年龄的孩子们参加足球比赛。在计划行为理论的指导下，研究结果说明了父母必须就足球参与做出的复杂风险决定。尽管我们研究中的父母承认发生脑震荡的风险，但他们确定了足球参与的认知和社会效益，从而形成了对足球成果的积极态度。参与者还指出，社会因素限制了他们对孩子的足球比赛的控制，包括社区压力。研究结果表明了促使足球入学的关键因素，因为父母必须考虑保护和发展孩子的相互竞争的目标。讨论了未来的研究方向，理论意义和实际应用。