Controlled ecological evaluation of an implemented exercise-training programme to prevent lower limb injuries in sport : Population-level trends in hospital-treated injuries
- Authors: Finch, Caroline , Gray, Shannon , Akram, Muhammad , Donaldson, Alex , Lloyd, David , Cook, Jill
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: British Journal of Sports Medicine Vol. 53, no. 8 (2019), p. 487-492
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- Description: Objective Exercise-training programmes have reduced lower limb injuries in trials, but their population-level effectiveness has not been reported in implementation trials. This study aimed to demonstrate that routinely collected hospital data can be used to evaluate population-level programme effectiveness. Method A controlled ecological design was used to evaluate the effect of FootyFirst, an exercise-training programme, on the number of hospital-treated lower limb injuries sustained by males aged 16-50 years while participating in community-level Australian Football. FootyFirst was implemented with a € support' (FootyFirst+S) or a € without support' (FootyFirst+NS) in different geographic regions of Victoria, Australia: 22 clubs in region 1: FootyFirst+S in 2012/2013; 25 clubs in region 2: FootyFirst+NS in 2012/2013; 31 clubs region 3: control in 2012, FootyFirst+S in 2013. Interrupted time-series analysis compared injury counts across regions and against trends in the rest of Victoria. Results After 1 year of FootyFirst+S, there was a non-statistically significant decline in the number of lower limb injuries in region 1 (2012) and region 3 (2013); this was not maintained after 2 years in region 1. Compared with before FootyFirst in 2006-2011, injury count changes at the end of 2013 were: region 1: 20.0% reduction (after 2 years support); region 2: 21.5% increase (after 2 years without support); region 3: 21.8% increase (after first year no programme, second year programme with support); rest of Victoria: 12.6% increase. Conclusion Ecological analyses using routinely collected hospital data show promise as the basis of population-level programme evaluation. The implementation and sustainability of sports injury prevention programmes at the population-level remains challenging.
Emergency preparedness in fitness facilities : Bridging the gap between policy and practice
- Authors: Sekendiz, Betul , Norton, Kevin , Keyzer, Patrick , Dietrich, Joachim , Coyle, Ian , Gray, Shannon , Finch, Caroline
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Business Continuity and Risk Management Vol. 8, no. 1 (2018), p. 71-85
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- Description: Fitness facilities are an important contributor to economies through preventative health policies of governments. Therefore, it is crucial that they are capable of ensuring the health and safety of their users during emergency situations under relevant work health and safety (WHS) legislation. This study aimed to analyse emergency response preparedness in fitness facilities in Australia and develop evidence-based strategic recommendations, using a mixed methods approach. An onsite observational audit tool and in-depth interviews were conducted at a sample of regional and metropolitan fitness facilities. The results showed that fitness facilities showed a lack of operational emergency response practices that requires an integrated approach to risk management by fitness facility operators. This gap between policy and practice has significant implications for all stakeholders involved in fitness service provision, including government agencies, academia and industry governing organisations.
A comprehensive observational audit tool for use in Australian fitness facilities
- Authors: Gray, Shannon , Sekendiz, Betul , Norton, Kevin , Finch, Caroline
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Theoretical Issues in Ergonomics Science Vol. 18, no. 4 (2017), p. 306-317
- Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/1058737
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- Description: A purposely designed observational audit tool (OAT) was developed following review of literature and international standards/guidelines for fitness facilities. The OAT was trialled to assess the physical environment of a sample of fitness facilities and determine its inter-rater reliability. Ten Victorian fitness facilities were visited to test the tool's inter-rater reliability, then 22 metropolitan and regional facilities in Victoria ranging in size and type were audited. A high degree of reliability was found (inter-rater reliability κ = 0.659 (p < 0.005); 95% CI (0.633, 0.685)); intra-class correlation = 0.985 (F474,948 = 67.226, p < 0.005, 95% CI (0.983, 0.987)). On average, facilities were colder and darker than international standards/guidelines specified. Distances around cardiovascular equipment varied between facilities. Free equipment was observed lying on floors in 66% (n = 21) of facilities. Twenty-seven facilities had signs instructing users to replace weights after use (66%). Only 19 (59%) facilities enforced towel use; however, 94% (n = 30) had disinfectant stations. The auditing of fitness facilities indicates more should be done at facilities to reduce injury risk. © 2016 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Assessing the completeness of coded and narrative data from the Victorian Emergency Minimum Dataset using injuries sustained during fitness activities as a case study
- Authors: Gray, Shannon , Finch, Caroline
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: BMC Emergency Medicine Vol. 16, no. 1 (2016), p. 1-8
- Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/1058737
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- Description: Background: Injury surveillance systems support the ongoing systematic collection, analysis and interpretation of health information vital to the prevention, planning and evaluation of injury prevention strategies. One key measure of the success of such systems is their reliability. Data completeness is a major component of system reliability, and is an indicator of a system's data quality. The Victorian Emergency Minimum Dataset (VEMD) is a state-wide record of injury presentations to emergency departments in Victoria, Australia. For each case, it provides information on the injury cause, place of occurrence, activity at time of injury, body region affected and nature of injury, as well as a free-text narrative of the injury event. The aim of this study was to assess the completeness of data in the VEMD using injuries sustained in fitness facilities as a case study. Methods: Analysis of VEMD coded parent injury variables (nature of injury, injured body region, cause of injury, place where injury occurred, activity at time of injury) and detailed narratives were reviewed for completeness over the ten-year period July 2003 to June 2012, inclusive. Narratives were text analysed manually to determine which items of injury information they contained and compared to the parent injury variables. Results: There were 2936 identified cases related to injuries sustained during fitness activities. Two percent of cases had all coded injury variables unspecified. Overall, 95.8 % of narratives had at least one piece of injury information missing. The nature of injury and body region variables were coded in 92.6 and 96.6 % of cases, yet were only mentioned in 27.1 and 75.4 % of narratives, respectively. The cause variable was allocated a specified code in 47.7 % of cases and was mentioned in 45.9 % of narratives. The cause was missing in both in 42.8 % of cases. In approximately half of all cases, the activity and place were specified in both the coded injury variable and narrative; they were missing in both in 7.4 and 13.6 % of cases, respectively. Conclusions: The reliability of the VEMD as an injury surveillance system, varied depending on the injury variable being examined. © 2016 The Author(s).
Biomechanical epidemiology : A novel approach for fitness activity injury prevention
- Authors: Gray, Shannon , Finch, Caroline
- Date: 2015
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australasian Epidemiologist Vol. 22, no. 1 (2015), p. 26-28
- Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/1058737
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- Description: There have been limited epidemiological studies that delve into injuries sustained during fitness activities, and fewer that have explored injury prevention strategies and evaluated their success. Popular individual and team sports such as athletics, swimming, basketball and various codes of football have enjoyed extensive epidemiological attention for years, and due to the sports' popularity and public profile, will continue to be highly researched areas. Other epidemiological research has focused on sports injuries more generally, or on specific injury types such as concussion, anterior cruciate ligament injury and hamstring injury. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics' Exercise Recreation and Sport Survey (ERASS), fitness/gym is the second most popular recreation or sport activity participated in by Australians aged 15+ years. Considering the number of people who participate in fitness activities, and the devastating impact that injuries can have on the individual, their family and friends, and society, it is necessary to devote some research to preventing these.
Epidemiology of hospital-treated injuries sustained by fitness participants
- Authors: Gray, Shannon , Finch, Caroline
- Date: 2015
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport Vol. 86, no. 1 (2015), p. 81-87
- Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/565900
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- Description: Purpose: The purpose of this study was to provide an epidemiological profile of injuries sustained by participants in fitness activities in Victoria, Australia, based on hospital admissions and emergency department (ED) presentations and to identify the most common types, causes, and sites of these injuries. Method: Hospital-treated fitness activity-related injury cases were identified from International Classification of Disease activity codes (for admissions) and from text narratives of injury events (for ED presentations) from 2003 to 2010, inclusive. Cases were categorized as being associated with aerobics/group exercise (n = 252), resistance/weight training (n = 830) or "other equipment" (motorized and general gym equipment; n = 1,156). Participation information was taken from the Exercise, Recreation and Sport Survey. Results: Overall, 2,238 cases were identified and 11.6% of all patients with ED presentations were subsequently hospitalized. Those participants with aerobics cases were generally female (76.6%) and aged 25 to 34 years old (35.3%), with injuries to the lower limbs (59.1%) and due to falls (57.9%). Resistance-training injuries increased significantly during the 8-year period (by 215.7%; 95% CI [133.5, 326.9]) and generally occurred in male participants (78.0%), in people aged 15 to 24 years old (36.4%), and with injuries to the upper limbs (45.1%) caused by being hit, struck, or crushed by weights or fellow exercisers (71.4%). The "other equipment" cases were equally distributed by gender; they occurred most commonly in people aged 15 to 24 years old (27.8%), with injuries to the lower limbs (41.5%) and due to falls (57.6%). Across all categories, dislocations, sprains, and strains were the most common injury types. Conclusions: Fitness activity-related injury prevention strategies should be targeted at different subgroups according to the type of fitness activity being undertaken.
- Description: Purpose: The purpose of this study was to provide an epidemiological profile of injuries sustained by participants in fitness activities in Victoria, Australia, based on hospital admissions and emergency department (ED) presentations and to identify the most common types, causes, and sites of these injuries. Method: Hospital-treated fitness activity-related injury cases were identified from International Classification of Disease activity codes (for admissions) and from text narratives of injury events (for ED presentations) from 2003 to 2010, inclusive. Cases were categorized as being associated with aerobics/group exercise (n = 252), resistance/weight training (n = 830) or “other equipment†(motorized and general gym equipment; n = 1,156). Participation information was taken from the Exercise, Recreation and Sport Survey. Results: Overall, 2,238 cases were identified and 11.6% of all patients with ED presentations were subsequently hospitalized. Those participants with aerobics cases were generally female (76.6%) and aged 25 to 34 years old (35.3%), with injuries to the lower limbs (59.1%) and due to falls (57.9%). Resistance-training injuries increased significantly during the 8-year period (by 215.7%; 95% CI [133.5, 326.9]) and generally occurred in male participants (78.0%), in people aged 15 to 24 years old (36.4%), and with injuries to the upper limbs (45.1%) caused by being hit, struck, or crushed by weights or fellow exercisers (71.4%). The “other equipment†cases were equally distributed by gender; they occurred most commonly in people aged 15 to 24 years old (27.8%), with injuries to the lower limbs (41.5%) and due to falls (57.6%). Across all categories, dislocations, sprains, and strains were the most common injury types. Conclusions: Fitness activity-related injury prevention strategies should be targeted at different subgroups according to the type of fitness activity being undertaken.
The causes of injuries sustained at fitness facilities presenting to Victorian emergency departments - identifying the main culprits
- Authors: Gray, Shannon , Finch, Caroline
- Date: 2015
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Injury Epidemiology Vol. 2, no. 1 (2015), p. 1-8
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- Description: BACKGROUND: Fitness facilities provide an avenue to engage in physical activity, which is widely encouraged to improve health. However, there is risk of injury. This study aimed to identify the specific causes of injuries sustained at fitness facilities and the activity being participated in, to aid in the development of injury prevention strategies. METHODS: Analysis of routinely collected emergency department case-series data were obtained from July 1999 to June 2013. Fitness activity-related injury cases were identified from narratives of injury events, with narrative information recoded into cause of injury and activity at time of injury categories. Recoded data were then analysed. RESULTS: Overall, 2,873 cases were identified that specified the exact cause of injury associated with injuries that occurred at fitness facilities. Injuries due to overexertion were most common overall (36.2% of all cases), as well as the main cause of injuries related to general free weight activities (52.6% of this activity) and group exercise classes (35.9%). Crush injuries due to falling weights were common for all free weight activities. Falls and awkward landings were common causes of injuries during group exercise classes (28.5% and 25.8%, respectively). Trips and falls were common throughout facilities, as well as from cardiovascular equipment more specifically. CONCLUSIONS: Detailed information on the causes of injuries allows the development of injury prevention strategies for fitness facilities and fitness activities. Facilities should implement risk management strategies to reduce the risk of injuries in their clientele, based on the identified major causes of injury in this study.