Children’s Hospital partners with Denver Broncos Foundation to research female flag football
AURORA, Colo. (KRDO) -- The Children's Hospital Colorado announced new research, conducted in coordination with the Denver Broncos Foundation, to research the impacts of flag football on high school female athletes.
According to the hospital system, the research helped inform the Colorado High School Activities Association's decisions on whether to support the sanctioning of girls' flag football at Colorado high schools.
"Girls in high school are more likely to drop out of sports earlier than teenage boys, and many inequalities remain for high school girls, including fewer opportunities for team sports, underrepresentation and lack of research around mental and physical health and their associated benefits with organized sport participation," read a press release from Children's Hospital Colorado.
Researchers gathered information to weigh the risk of injury against the potential gains in mental and physical health. According to the Children's Hospital, most injuries reported were those to fingers. However, the pilot study information showed that the athletes had higher self-reported energy levels, and researchers believe it could also positively impact mental well-being.
Researchers also used menstrual cycle information to make better-informed hypotheses when evaluating data. The Children's Hospital says that, for example, female athletes with diagnosed menstrual dysfunction experienced higher stress levels or worse sleep quality ratings during the athletic season.
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