This eye-opening study adds to the scarce scholarly literature on professional athletes, bringing empirical rigor to issues often clouded by mystery and hearsay. It identifies socioeconomic, demographic, and career variables as risk factors for mortality among former NBA and NFL players, along with hypotheses to be tested relating to elite athletes and other U.S. populations. A detailed multivariate analysis compares mortality factors, rates, and outcomes within and between the two leagues, comparing them also with the general U.S. male population. The findings and conclusions gleaned from this research offer possibilities for future research to improve health and quality of life in this specific athlete cohort, among athletes in general, in other groups, and in the larger society. Potential risk factors analyzed in this groundbreaking study: * Race * Body Mass Index (BMI) * U.S. birthplace region (Northeast, West, Midwest, South) * Years of playing experience * Playing position Mortality and Its Risk Factors among Professional Athletes will spark interest among professionals and researchers in public health, sports medicine, and epidemiology; current and former NBA and NFL players, their families, coaches, trainers, and union representatives; non-professional basketball and football players, athletes from other sports, and their families, coaches, and trainers; social scientists; policymakers; obesity researchers; parents of children who play contact sports; students, teachers, and researchers in occupational health and racial disparities; and health care providers.

A skilled epidemiologist joins forces with an up-and-coming investigative political scientist to write a unique and dynamic treatise on player concussions in the National Football League (NFL). Using concussion data from the NFL's website during the last three regular seasons (2010-2012), incidence and risk factors of concussions are calculated and compared for a range of factors rarely or never studied before. The eye-opening results help shed light on possible ways to prevent and reduce the rate of these head injuries and the long-term risks of cognitive decline.

The existing epidemiological literature on concussions in the NFL is sparse, mainly comprised of several articles written by NFL-affiliated researchers whose work has come under intense scrutiny and challenge by the scientific community and the U.S. Congress. "Pigskin Crossroads" fills some of the gaps related to this subject from an independent perspective. Concussion incidence rates are computed and analyzed for team, week of season, day of week, speed versus non-speed positions, conference, field surface, home versus away games, starters versus nonstarters, and other critical variables. Rates of concussions in games worked by replacement versus regular referees are compared. The risk of repeat concussions between regular seasons is also analyzed. An exposure-response analysis describes the link between the number of games played and the occurrence of concussions. Intriguingly, teams of concussed players are more likely to lose games, both overall and on the day that the concussions occur.

Rigorous statistical tests identify differences between the groups under study, and all methods are explained in a way that is accessible to a lay as well as professional audience. Key results are illustrated in stunning graphs and figures, and for those who enjoy data, there are 27 appendices that allow readers to get in the trenches of the results.

The backdrop for this empirical research is six critical essays on the politics surrounding the key issues in the NFL concussion crisis. This includes a comprehensive description of its history along with the making and remaking of league policies, protocols, and rules related to concussions, and the significant shift in NFL public relations. Another chapter discusses helmet safety standards, and the final essay details the massive ongoing class-action lawsuit against the NFL and helmet manufacturer Riddell involving nearly 6,000 retired players and families. The litigation has brought the situation to a critical juncture that may threaten the future of the game as we currently know and love it.

This compelling book examines mortality risk among former Hispanic and African-American players in Major League Baseball (MLB) during the 40-year period following desegregation in the League. Analyzing a variety of biological, cultural, social, and environmental factors, the author illustrates the potential health effects of racial disparities on these elite athletes and fills a significant gap in the mortality literature. Included in the coverage: The history and evolution of professional baseball in both the United States and Latin America Literature and statistical reviews of racial and ethnic inequalities in mortality in the US general population Overview and evaluation of methodologies used to statistically analyze mortality risk in this professional-athlete population Implications and applications of research findings related to Hispanic and African-American MLB-player mortality A unique perspective on a pressing public health issue, Mortality Among Hispanic and African-American Players After Desegregation in Major League Baseball is a salient read for public health professionals including epidemiologists, medical professionals, and social scientists, as well as athletes, historians, and those with broad interest in African American and Latino health.