Explore potential associations between football exposure, maladaptive health behaviors, neurobehavioral, and neurocognitive outcomes among former American football players.
Maladaptive health behavior engagement (e.g., smoking, alcohol use, and substance use) is negatively associated with various neurocognitive and neuropsychiatric outcomes. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is associated with repetitive head impact exposure. Long-term exposure to playing American football may influence maladaptive health behavior engagement.
Former football players had more sleep complaints (β = 2.079, p = .007) and alcohol use (β = -1.942, p = .022) than controls, who engaged in less physical activity (odds ratio = .416, p = .041) than former players. No significant differences observed in level of play for health behaviors except opioid use; former college players used more than former NFL players (odds ratio = 3.96, p = .015, padj. = .030). Years of play correlated with Executive Function and Psychomotor Speed factor performance (β = .222, p < .005; padj. = .028). Sleep quality correlated with performances on the Visual Learning and Memory (β = .221, padj.= .038) and Explosivity (β = .406, padj.= .007) factors. Opioid use correlated with performances on the Visual Learning and Memory factor (β = .703, p = .001), Verbal Fluency factor (β = -.212, padj.= .036), the Emotional Dyscontrol factor (β = .227, padj. = .024).
Sleep problems and opioid use were greater in former American football players and associated with several neuropsychological and neurobehavioral abnormalities.