A Prospective Study of Childhood Predictors of Traumatic Brain Injuries Sustained in Adolescence and Adulthood

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are sustained by approximately 17% of males in the general population, many of whom subsequently present mental disorders, cognitive, and physical problems. Little is known about predictors of TBIs and how to prevent them. The present study aimed to determine whether inattention–hyperactivity and/or all externalizing problems presented by boys at age 10 predict subsequent TBIs to age 34 after taking account of previous TBIs and family social status (FSS).

742 Canadian males were followed, prospectively, from age 6 to 34. Diagnoses of TBIs were extracted from health files, parents-reported sociodemographic and family characteristics at participants’ age 6, and teachers-rated participants’ behaviors at age 10. Separate logistic regression models predicted TBIs sustained from age 11 to 17 and from age 18 to 34. For each age period, two models were computed, one included previous TBIs, inattention–hyperactivity, FSS, and interaction terms, the second included previous TBIs, externalizing problems, FSS, and interaction terms.

In models that included inattention–hyperactivity, TBIs sustained from age 11 to 17 were predicted by age 10 inattention–hyperactivity (odds ratio [OR] = 1.46, 1.05 to 2.05) and by TBIs prior to age 11 (OR = 3.50, 1.48 to 8.24); TBIs sustained from age 18 to 34 were predicted by age 10 inattention–hyperactivity (OR = 1.31, 1.01 to 170). In models that included all externalizing problems, TBIs from age 11 to 17 were predicted by prior TBIs (OR = 3.66, 1.51 to 8.39); TBIs sustained from age 18 to 34 were predicted by age 10 externalizing problems (OR = 1.45, 1.12 to 1.86). Neither FSS nor interaction terms predicted TBIs in any of the models.

Among males, using evidence-based treatments to reduce inattention–hyperactivity and externalizing problems among boys could, potentially, decrease the risk of TBIs to age 34. Further, boys who sustain TBIs in childhood require monitoring to prevent recurrence in adolescence.