There has been a significant increase in the number of children and youth treated for concussions, according to a recent study.

Researchers from York University found that the number of school-aged youth (3 to 18 years old) treated for concussions in both emergency departments and physician's offices in Ontario increased significantly between 2003 and 2010, with falls, hockey and skating injuries identified as the leading causes of pediatric concussion.

"This study is the first to examine pediatric concussions evaluated in both emergency departments and physicians' offices," Alison Macpherson, the study's lead author, said in a statement. "By examining all of the pediatric concussions evaluated in multiple facilities, we were able to minimize the issue of under-reporting and obtain a more accurate number of concussions treated in Ontario."

For the study, researchers analyzed all visits related to a concussion by school-aged youth in Ontario from 2003 to 2010.

Between 2003 and 2010, researchers found a total of 88,688 pediatric concussions were treated in either an emergency department or a physician's office, and there was a significant trend in both locations. The total rate of concussions per 100,000 increased from 466.7 to 754.3 (for boys), and from 208.6 to 440.7 (for girls) during the study period. The numbers also showed that over time more children were being evaluated in physician's offices than emergency departments.

When the sources of concussion were broadly examined, falls were found to be the most common cause of concussion in an emergency department, representing 34 percent of all emergency department visits, followed closely by exposure to force (25.5 percent) and motor vehicle collisions (12.3 percent). When specific causes were examined in more detail, hockey and skating -- common sports in North America -- were the most common causes of concussions that were treated in an emergency department.

"Our findings reinforced that falls in general are the most common cause of pediatric concussions, and that evidence-based prevention initiatives to help reduce the incidence of concussion are warranted - particularly in sports and recreation programs," Dr. Astrid Guttmann, the study's senior author, said in a statement. "Sports-related concussions can be minimized by taking preventive action, such as reducing body checking in hockey or wearing a helmet while cycling."

Macpherson said future studies can attempt to differentiate between the true incidence of concussions and an increase in those seeking a health evaluation due to increased awareness of concussion and subsequent health consequences.

The findings are detailed in in the journal Paediatrics & Child Health.