Citation

Butler L, DiSanti JS, Sugimoto D, Hines DM, Del Bel MJ, Oliver GD. Clin. J. Sport. Med. 2022; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Canadian Academy of Sport Medicine, Publisher Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/JSM.0000000000001038

PMID

35561345

Abstract

n surveying the literature, the term "youth" is used to describe participants ranging from age 8 to 23 years with no consistent age definition provided. In addition, age terminologies such as "preadolescent" and "adolescent" are widely used in sports medicine literature without clear evidence that researchers completed a biological age assessment in addition to one's chronological age. This may lead to the false assumption that an assessment of maturation was completed. The inconsistent age terminology used in scientific literature brings confusion among readers and researchers alike, leading to significant challenges in synthesizing findings. General terms such as "youth" and "pediatric" are too broad to describe participant characteristics in a way that allows for accurate research comparisons. Consistency in age parameters associated with purposeful labeling and clearly defined groups is imperative for the future of research reports and clinical practices. The development and implementation of specific age terminology will likely improve clarity in sharing evidence and knowledge associated with studies of the youth population. This article aims to improve consistency of terminology used within the pediatric sports medicine literature based on evidence-based models of youth sport, both in a general sense (youth and pediatrics) and through 3 proposed age-based subcategories (childhood, early teen, and late teen).

Three Key Points

- General terms (ie, youth and pediatric) are appropriate when referencing the broad age range comprising the youth sport spectrum (age 5-18 years); however, more specific terminology should be used to clearly identify participant characteristics whenever possible.
- More precise language must be used to define pediatric athletic populations to enable valid identification of participant characteristics and accurate synthesis of research findings.
- Aligned with evidence-based models of youth sport, we propose 3 subcategories for defining participants in sports medicine research based on their chronological age ranges: childhood (age 5-12 years), early teen (age 13-15 years), and late teen (age 16-18 years).

Language: en