Does wearing headgear influence risk compensation in adolescent female lacrosse?

OBJECTIVE: The implementation of a headgear mandate in girls' lacrosse has encountered concerns that the use of headgear may lead to risk-taking behaviors, thereby causing more aggressive gameplay. This study aims to investigate perceptions of headgear use and the potential effect of headgear on risk compensation. METHODS: Adolescent female aged 13-19 years participating on a high school or club girls' lacrosse team completed a Qualtrics survey consisting of questions about age, years of experience, player position, headgear use, the effect headgear would have on their gameplay and completed the Brief Sensation Seeking Scale (BSSS-8). RESULTS: = .002, 95.00% CI = [.10, .31]). CONCLUSIONS: A relationship between headgear use and BSSS scores was confirmed through multiple statistical approaches, with headgear wearers consistently showing higher risk perception scores than non-headgear wearers. This finding persisted even when controlling for other variables, suggesting that headgear usage may positively influence safety awareness among female lacrosse players.