A 2-year prospective study of injury epidemiology in elite Australian rugby sevens : Exploration of incidence rates, severity, injury type, and subsequent injury in men and women
- Authors: Toohey, Liam , Drew, Michael , Finch, Caroline , Cook, Jill , Fortington, Lauren
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: American Journal of Sports Medicine Vol. 47, no. 6 (2019), p. 1302-1311
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Background: Injuries are common in rugby sevens, but studies to date have been limited to short, noncontinuous periods and reporting of match injuries only. Purpose: To report the injury incidence rate (IIR), severity, and burden of injuries sustained by men and women in the Australian rugby sevens program and to provide the first longitudinal investigation of subsequent injury occurrence in rugby sevens looking beyond tournament injuries only. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiology study. Methods: Ninety international rugby sevens players (55 men and 35 women) were prospectively followed over 2 consecutive seasons (2015-2016 and 2016-2017). All medical attention injuries were reported irrespective of time loss. Individual exposure in terms of minutes, distance, and high-speed distance was captured for each player for matches and on-field training, with the use of global positioning system devices. The IIR and injury burden (IIR × days lost to injury) were calculated per 1000 player-hours, and descriptive analyses were performed. Results: Seventy-three players (81.1%) sustained 365 injuries at an IIR of 43.2 per 1000 player-hours (95% CI, 43.0-43.3). As compared with male players, female players experienced a lower IIR (incidence rate ratio, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.90-0.91). Female players also sustained a higher proportion of injuries to the trunk region (relative risk, 1.75; 95% CI, 1.28-2.40) but a lower number to the head/neck region (relative risk, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.37-0.93; P =.011). The majority (80.7%) of subsequent injuries were of a different site and nature than previous injuries. A trend toward a reduced number of days, participation time, distance, and high-speed distance completed before the next injury was observed after successive injury occurrence. Conclusion: Female players have a lower IIR than male players, with variation of injury profiles observed between sexes. With a surveillance period of 2 years, subsequent injuries account for the majority of injuries sustained in rugby sevens, and they are typically different from previous types of sustained injuries. After each successive injury, the risk profile for future injury occurrence appears to be altered, which warrants further investigation to inform injury prevention strategies in rugby sevens.
Match injuries in Sri Lankan junior cricket : A prospective, longitudinal study
- Authors: Gamage, Prasanna , Fortington, Lauren , Kountouris, Alex , Finch, Caroline
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport Vol. 22, no. 6 (2019), p. 647-652
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Objectives: Understanding the nature of injuries in cricket is key to mitigate injury risks and prioritise preventive measures. This study aimed to identify the incidence and nature of match injuries among Sri Lankan junior cricketers. Design: Longitudinal follow-up study with prospective in-season data collection. Methods: A national survey of schoolboy, division-1 cricket teams in under-15 and under-17 age groups. Using a paper-based questionnaire, distributed to school-teams at the start of the 2016 cricket season, respondents recorded any injuries, including the site, type and mechanism. Match injury incidence rates (match-IIR) (injuries/100 match-player-days) were calculated overall, by position and for match time loss (MTL) and non-MTL injuries. Results: From 59 school-teams, 573 players responded, with 404 players reporting 744 injuries in 648 matches. The match-IIR was 28.0 injuries/100 match-player-days (95% CI = 26.0–30.2). The highest match-IIR was reported among fielders (46.0% of all injuries sustained; match-IIR = 12.9) compared with batters (25.4%; match-IIR = 7.1) and bowlers (20.3%; match-IIR = 5.7). Abrasions and bruises to the knee or elbow were the most common injuries among fielders, with the majority being non-MTL injuries. Conclusions: Almost half (46.0%) of all injuries were to fielders, and more research into their severity and mechanisms is needed to identify the need for, and design of, preventive measures. Batters sustained a relatively large number of facial-organ injuries from being struck by the ball, presenting a need to evaluate the use and appropriateness of helmets by Sri Lankan junior cricketers. Similar to other junior cricket studies, the most common injuries among bowlers were strains and sprains, mainly affecting the lower limbs and lower back. © 2018
A prospective cohort study on symptoms of common mental disorders among Dutch elite athletes
- Authors: Gouttebarge, Vincent , Jonkers, Ruud , Moen, Maarten , Verhagen, Evert , Wylleman, Paul , Kerkhoffs, Gino
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Physician and Sportsmedicine Vol. 45, no. 4 (2017), p. 426-432
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Objective: Scientific knowledge about symptoms of common mental disorders in elite sports is scarce. Consequently, the objectives of the study were to (i) establish the 12-month incidence of symptoms of common mental disorders (CMD; distress, anxiety/depression, sleep disturbance, adverse alcohol use, eating disorders) among Dutch elite athletes and (ii) explore their potential association with several stressors (being injured, recent life events, career dissatisfaction).Methods: A prospective cohort study with a 12-month follow-up period was conducted. The study used validated questionnaires to assess symptoms of common mental disorders (thus not clinically diagnosed) as well as several stressors; an electronic questionnaire was set up and repeatedly distributed.Results: A total of 203 elite athletes gave their written informed consent to participate in the study, from which 143 completed the 12-month follow-up period (follow-up rate of 70%). Incidence of symptoms of CMD ranged from 6% for adverse alcohol use to 57% for symptoms of anxiety/depression. Over the follow-up period, around 17% of the participants reported two simultaneous symptoms of CMD, and around 19% reported three simultaneous symptoms of CMD. Inferences between some stressors and symptoms of CMD were found but none of the associations were statistically significant.Conclusions: Substantial 12-month incidence rates of symptoms of CMD (self-reported and not clinically diagnosed) were found among Dutch elite athletes (especially for anxiety/depression), appearing similar to the ones found among athletes from other sports disciplines and the Dutch general population. Also, inferences between some stressors and symptoms of CMD were found but none of the associations were statistically significant. Supportive and preventive measures directed towards symptoms of CMD should be developed to improve awareness and psychological resilience of athletes, which would likely improve their performance and quality-of-life.
Epidemiology of facial injuries in sport
- Authors: Black, Amanda , Eliason, Paul , Patton, Declan , Emery, Carolyn
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Clinics in Sports Medicine Vol. 36, no. 2 (2017), p. 237-255
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Facial injuries can pose a large health burden for athletes, potentially resulting in time loss and surgery. This article reviews the incidence, common mechanisms, and risk factors of facial injuries in several sports globally. Estimates of facial injury rates are complicated by a lack of, or inconsistent, reporting on specific types of injury. Much of the epidemiologic literature is based on hospital-based injury surveillance and there is a paucity of literature examining sport-specific risk factors. Future research should focus on prospective injury surveillance methodologies with consistent injury definitions examining risk factors and the effectiveness of facial injury prevention efforts.
Hip and knee osteoarthritis affects younger people, too
- Authors: Ackerman, Ilana , Kemp, Joanne , Crossley, Kay , Culvenor, Adam , Hinman, Rana
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy Vol. 47, no. 2 (2017), p. 67-79
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Although osteoarthritis (OA) has traditionally been considered a disease of older age, hip and knee OA can and does affect younger adults, with a profound impact on psychosocial well-being and work capacity. Obesity and a history of traumatic knee injury (eg, anterior cruciate ligament rupture and/or meniscal tear) are key risk factors for the accelerated development of knee OA, while structural hip deformities (including those contributing to femoroacetabular impingement syndrome) are strong predictors of early-onset hip OA. In view of these associations, rising rates of obesity and sports injuries are concerning, and may signal a future surge in OA incidence among younger people. Assessment of hip and knee OA in younger people should focus on a patient-centered history, comprehensive physical examination, performance-based measures, and patient-reported outcome measures to enable monitoring of symptoms and function over time. Referral for imaging should be reserved for people presenting with atypical signs or symptoms that may indicate diagnoses other than OA. Nonpharmacological approaches are core strategies for the management of hip and knee OA in younger people, and these include appropriate disease-related education, activity modifcation (including for work-related tasks), physical therapist-prescribed exercise programs to address identifed physical impairments, and weight control or weight loss. High-quality evidence has shown no beneft of arthroscopy for knee OA, and there are no published clinical trials to support the use of hip arthroscopy for OA. Referral for joint-conserving or joint replacement surgery should be considered when nonpharmacological and pharmacological management strategies are no longer effective. © 2017 Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy.
Prevention of sport related facial injuries
- Authors: Black, Amanda , Patton, Declan , Eliason, Paul , Emery, Carolyn
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Clinics in Sports Medicine Vol. 36, no. 2 (2017), p. 257-278
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: There is evidence that eye protection, mouth guards, helmets, and face guards are effective in reducing the risk of facial injury; however, such safety practices are not adopted universally by all athletes playing high risk sports. Underlying beliefs about risk perception, comfort, ineffectiveness, utility, and a lack of awareness or enforcement have been identified as reasons people may not adopt preventive measures. There are several high-risk sports that have not mandated or do not enforce use of protective equipment. Valid evidence can assist with addressing the resistance caused by prevailing beliefs and could be essential in influencing rule changes.
A one-season prospective study of injuries and illness in elite junior tennis
- Authors: Pluim, Babette , Loeffen, F. , Clarsen, Ben , Bahr, Roald , Verhagen, Evert
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports Vol. 26, no. 5 (2016), p. 564-571
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: The objective of this study was to estimate the incidence and prevalence of injury and illness among elite junior tennis players. A cohort of 73 players (11-14 years) in the 2012-2013 Dutch national high-performance program was followed for 32 weeks; all participants completed the study. The OSTRC Questionnaire on Health Problems was used to record self-reported injuries and illnesses and to record training and match exposure. Main outcome measures were average prevalence of overuse injury and illness and incidence density of acute injury. On average, players practiced 9.1h/week (SD 0.6; range 2.3-12.0) and had 2.2h of match play (SD 0.6; range 2.3-12.0). During the course of the study, 67 players reported a total of 187 health problems. The average weekly prevalence of all health problems was 21.3% (95% CI: 19.2-22.9), of which 12.1% (95% CI: 10.9-13.3) constituted overuse injuries and 5.8% (95% CI: 4.6-6.9) illnesses. The incidence of acute injuries was 1.2/1000h of tennis play (95% CI: 0.7-1.7). The high occurrence of overuse injuries among elite junior tennis players suggests that an early focus on preventative measures is warranted, with a particular focus on the monitoring and management of workload. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S.
Health and economic burden of running-related injuries in runners training for an event : A prospective cohort study
- Authors: Hespanhol Junior, Luiz , van Mechelen, Willem , Postuma, Eva , Verhagen, Evert
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports Vol. 26, no. 9 (2016), p. 1091-1099
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Prospective running-related injury (RRI) data from runners training for an event are scarce, especially with regard to RRI-associated costs. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and economic burden of RRIs in runners participating in an organized training program preparing them for an event. This was a prospective cohort study with 18 weeks of follow-up. Individuals aged 18 or older and registered to participate in an organized running program were eligible. Follow-up surveys were sent every 2 weeks to collect data about running exposure, RRIs, and costs. Of the 161 potential participants, 53 (32.9%) were included in this study. A total of 32 participants reported 41 RRIs. The mean prevalence during follow-up was 30.8% [95% confidence interval (CI) 25.6–36.0%]. Overuse was the main mechanism of RRI (85.4%, n = 35). An RRI was estimated to have an economic burden of €57.97 (95% CI €26.17–94.00) due to healthcare utilization (direct costs) and €115.75 (95% CI €10.37–253.73) due to absenteeism from paid work (indirect costs). These results indicate that the health and economic burden of RRIs may be considered significant for public health. Therefore, prevention programs are needed for runners participating in organized training programs. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd
Performance success or failure is influenced by weeks lost to injury and illness in elite Australian track and field athletes : A 5-year prospective study
- Authors: Raysmith, Benjamin , Drew, Michael
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport Vol. 19, no. 10 (2016), p. 778-783
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Objectives: To investigate the impact of training modification on achieving performance goals. Previous research demonstrates an inverse relationship between injury burden and success in team sports. It is unknown whether this relationship exists within individual sport such as athletics. Design: A prospective, cohort study (n = 33 International Track and Field Athletes; 76 athlete seasons) across five international competition seasons. Methods: Athlete training status was recorded weekly over a 5-year period. Over the 6-month preparation season, relationships between training weeks completed, the number of injury/illness events and the success or failure of a performance goal at major championships was investigated. Two-by-two table were constructed and attributable risks in the exposed (AFE) calculated. A mixed-model, logistic regression was used to determine the relationship between failure and burden per injury/illness. Receiver Operator Curve (ROC) analysis was performed to ascertain the optimal threshold of training week completion to maximise the chance of success. Results: Likelihood of achieving a performance goal increased by 7-times in those that completed >80% of planned training weeks (AUC, 0.72; 95%CI 0.64-0.81). Training availability accounted for 86% of successful seasons (AFE=0.86, 95%CI, 0.46 to 0.96). The majority of new injuries occurred within the first month of the preparation season (30%) and most illnesses occurred within 2-months of the event (50%). For every modified training week the chance of success significantly reduced (OR=0.74, 95%CI 0.58 to 0.94). Conclusions: Injuries and illnesses, and their influence on training availability, during preparation are major determinants of an athlete's chance of performance goal success or failure at the international level. (C) 2016 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Sport injuries sustained by athletes with disability : A systematic review
- Authors: Weiler, Richard , van Mechelen, Willem , Fuller, Colin , Verhagen, Evert
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Sports Medicine Vol. 46, no. 8 (2016), p. 1141-1153
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Background Fifteen percent of the world's population live with disability, and many of these individuals choose to play sport. There are barriers to sport participation for athletes with disability and sports injury can greatly impact on daily life, which makes sports injury prevention additionally important. Objective The purpose of this review is to systematically review the definitions, methodologies and injury rates in disability sport, which should assist future identification of risk factors and development of injury prevention strategies. A secondary aim is to highlight the most pressing issues for improvement of the quality of injury epidemiology research for disability sport. Methods A search of NICE, AMED, British Nursing Index, CINAHL, EMBASE and Medline was conducted to identify all publications up to 16 June 2015. Of 489 potentially relevant articles and reference searching, a total of 15 studies were included. Wide study sample heterogeneity prevented data pooling and meta-analysis. Results Results demonstrated an evolving field of epidemiology, but with wide differences in sports injury definition and with studies focused on short competitions. Background data were generally sparse; there was minimal exposure analysis, and no analysis of injury severity, all of which made comparison of injury risk and injury severity difficult. Conclusion There is an urgent need for consensus on sports injury definition and methodology in disability sports. The quality of studies is variable, with inconsistent sports injury definitions, methodologies and injury rates, which prevents comparison, conclusions and development of injury prevention strategies. The authors highlight the most pressing issues for improvement of the quality in injury epidemiology research for disability sport.
The impact of injury definition on injury surveillance in novice runners
- Authors: Kluitenberg, Bas , van Middelkoop, Marienke , Verhagen, Evert , Hartgens, Fred , Huisstede, Bionka , Diercks, Ron , van der Worp, Henk
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport Vol. 19, no. 6 (Jun 2016), p. 470-475
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Objectives: Despite several consensus statements, different injury definitions are used in the literature. This study aimed to identify the impact of different injury definitions on the nature and incidence of complaints captured during a short-term running program for novice runners. Methods: 1696 participants completed weekly diaries on running exposure and musculoskeletal complaints during a 6-week running program. These data were used to compare six different injury definitions (presence of running-related pain, training-reduction, time-loss of.one day or one week). Injuries were registered under these different definitions. Consequently incidence and the nature of complaints were compared between definitions. Results: The different injury definitions resulted in incidences that varied between 7.5% and 58.0%, or 18.7 and 239.6 injuries per 1000 h of running. The median duration of injury complaints was 4-7 days for injuries registered under a 'day definition', while complaints registered under a 'week definition' lasted 20-22 days. For running-related pain injuries the median of the maximum amount of pain was 3.0. In training-reduction and time-loss injuries these median values were scored between 5.0 and 7.0. No significant differences in anatomical locations between injuries that were registered under a 'day definition' or a 'week definition' were found. Injuries registered under a time-loss definition were located relatively more often at the knee, while complaints at the pelvis/sacrum/buttock were captured more often under a running-related pain definition. Conclusions: Injury definitions largely impact injury incidence. Location of injury is also affected by choice of injury definition. This stressed the need for standardized injury registration methods. (C) 2015 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Groningen, Netherlands.
The NLstart2run study : Economic burden of running-related injuries in novice runners participating in a novice running program
- Authors: Hespanhol Junior, Luiz , Huisstede, Bionka , Smits, Dirk-Wouter , Kluitenberg, Bas , van der Worp, Henk , van Middelkoop, Marienke , Hartgens, Fred , Verhagen, Evert
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport Vol. 19, no. 10 (2016), p. 800-804
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Objectives: To investigate the economic burden of running-related injuries (RRI) occurred during the 6-week 'Start-to-Run' program of the Dutch Athletics Federation in 2013. Methods: This was a monetary cost analysis using the data prospectively gathered alongside the RRI registration in the NLstart2run study. RRI data were collected weekly. Cost diaries were applied two and six weeks after the RRI registration to collect data regarding healthcare utilisation (direct costs) and absenteeism from paid and unpaid work (indirect costs). RRI was defined as running-related pain that hampered running ability for three consecutive training sessions. Results: From the 1696 participants included in the analysis, 185 reported a total of 272 RRIs. A total of 26.1% of the cost data (71 RRIs reported by 50 participants) were missing. Therefore, a multiple imputation procedure was performed. The economic burden (direct plus indirect costs) of RRIs was estimated at (sic)83.22 (95% CI(sic)50.42-(sic)116.02) per RRI, and (sic)13.35 (95% CI(sic)7.07-(sic)19.63) per participant. The direct cost per RRI was (sic)56.93 (95% CI (sic)42.05-(sic)71.81) and the indirect cost per RRI was (sic)26.29(95% CI (sic)0.00-(sic)54.79). The indirect cost was higher for sudden onset RRIs than for gradual onset RRIs, with a mean difference of (sic)33.92 (95% CI (sic)17.96-(sic)49.87). Conclusions: Direct costs of RRIs were 2-fold higher than the indirect costs, and sudden onset RRIs presented higher costs than gradual onset RRIs. The results of this study are important to provide information to public health agencies and policymakers about the economic burden of RRIs in novice runners. (C) 2015 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Using video analysis for concussion surveillance in Australian football
- Authors: Makdissi, Michael , Davis, Gavin
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport Vol. 19, no. 12 (2016), p. 958-963
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Objectives: The objectives of the study were to assess the relationship between various player and game factors and risk of concussion; and to assess the reliability of video analysis for mechanistic assessment of concussion in Australian football. Methods: All impacts and collisions resulting in concussion were identified during the 2011 Australian Football League season. An extensive list of factors for assessment was created based upon previous analysis of concussion in Australian Football League and expert opinions. The authors independently reviewed the video clips and correlation for each factor was examined. Results: A total of 82 concussions were reported in 194 games (rate: 8.7 concussions per 1000 match hours; 95% confidence interval: 6.9-10.5). Player demographics and game variables such as venue, timing of the game (day, night or twilight), quarter, travel status (home or interstate) or score margin did not demonstrate a significant relationship with risk of concussion; although a higher percentage of concussions occurred in the first 5 min of game time of the quarter (36.6%), when compared to the last 5 min (20.7%). Variables with good inter-rater agreement included position on the ground, circumstances of the injury and cause of the impact. The remainder of the variables assessed had fair-poor inter-rater agreement. Common problems included insufficient or poor quality video and interpretation issues related to the definitions used. Conclusions: Clear definitions and good quality video from multiple camera angles are required to improve the utility of video analysis for concussion surveillance in Australian football. (C) 2016 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Injury surveillance in community sport : Can we obtain valid data from sports trainers?
- Authors: Ekegren, Christina , Gabbe, Belinda , Finch, Caroline
- Date: 2015
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports Vol. 25, no. 3 (2015), p. 315-322
- Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/565900
- Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/1058737
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: A lack of available injury data on community sports participants has hampered the development of informed preventive strategies for the broad-base of sports participation. In community sports settings, sports trainers or first-aiders are well-placed to carry out injury surveillance, but few studies have evaluated their ability to do so. The aim of this study was to investigate the reporting rate and completeness of sports trainers' injury records and agreement between sports trainers' and players' reports of injury in community Australian football. Throughout the football season, one sports trainer from each of four clubs recorded players' injuries. To validate these data, we collected self-reported injury data from players via short message service (SMS). In total, 210 discrete injuries were recorded for 139 players, 21% by sports trainers only, 59% by players via SMS only, and 21% by both. Completeness of injury records ranged from 95% to 100%. Agreement between sports trainers and players ranged from K=0.32 (95% confidence interval: 0.27, 0.37) for date of return to football to K=1.00 for activity when injured. Injury data collected by sports trainers may be of adequate quality for providing an understanding of the profile of injuries. However, data are likely to underestimate injury rates and should be interpreted with caution. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Measurement of a drowning incidence rate combining direct observation of an exposed population with mortality statistics
- Authors: Morgan, Damian , Ozanne-Smith, Joan
- Date: 2015
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Injury Control and Safety Promotion Vol. 22, no. 3 (2015), p. 209-214
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Drowning risk factors may be identified by comparing drowning incidence rates for comparable at-risk populations but precise methods are lacking. To address this knowledge gap, an ecological study extrapolated crude time-duration exposure to water for a specified at-risk sample of surf bathers to estimate the bather population for all wave-dominated beaches in Victoria, Australia, over a four-year summer season period. An incidence rate was calculated using surf bather drowning deaths frequencies matched for time and location. For the sample, 47,341 hours of surf bathing were estimated from 177,528 bathing episodes. Generalising these results to Victoria, the crude drowning deaths incidence rate in the summer season was 0.41 per 1,000,000 person-hours of surf bathing (95% CI 0.37–0.45). Further application of the method, particularly in open water settings, may be used to identify candidate drowning risk factors to advance drowning prevention strategies.
Injuries in community-level Australian football : Results from a club-based injury surveillance system
- Authors: Ekegren, Christina , Gabbe, Belinda , Donaldson, Alex , Cook, Jill , Lloyd, David , Finch, Caroline
- Date: 2014
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport Vol. 18, no. 6 (2014), p.651-655
- Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/565900
- Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/1058737
- Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/565907
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Objectives: Far fewer injury surveillance systems exist within community sport than elite sport. As a result, most epidemiological data on sports injuries have limited relevance to community-level sporting populations. There is potential for data from community club-based injury surveillance systems to provide a better understanding of community sports injuries. This study aimed to describe the incidence and profile of community-level Australian football injuries reported using a club-based injury surveillance system. Design: Prospective, epidemiological study. Methods: Sports trainers from five community-level Australian football leagues recorded injury data during two football seasons using the club-based system. An online surveillance tool developed by Sports Medicine Australia ('Sports Injury Tracker') was used for data collection. The injury incidence, profile and match injury rate were reported. Results: Injury data for 1205 players were recorded in season one and for 823 players in season two. There was significant variability in injury incidence across clubs. However, aggregated data were consistent across football seasons, with an average of 0.7 injuries per player per season and 38-39 match injuries per 1000. h match exposure. A large proportion of injuries occurred during matches, involved the lower limb and resulted from contact. Conclusions: Data from the club-based system provided a profile of injuries consistent with previous studies in community-level Australian football. Moreover, injury incidence was consistent with other studies using similar personnel to record data. However, injury incidence was lower than that reported in studies using player self-report or healthcare professionals and may be an underestimate of true values.
Priorities for investment in injury prevention in community Australian football
- Authors: Finch, Caroline , Gabbe, Belinda , White, Peta , Lloyd, David , Twomey, Dara , Donaldson, Alex , Elliott, Bruce , Cook, Jill
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Clinical journal of sport medicine Vol. 23, no. 6 (November 2013 2013), p. 430-438
- Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/565900
- Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/565907
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Objective:High-quality sport-specific information about the nature, type, cause, and frequency of injuries is needed to set injury prevention priorities. This article describes the type, nature, and mechanism of injuries in community Australian Football (community AF) players, as collected through field-based monitoring of injury in teams of players.Data Sources:Compilation of published prospectively collected injury data from 3 studies in junior community AF (1202 injuries in 1950+ players) and 3 studies in adult community AF (1765 injuries in 2265 players). This was supplemented with previously unpublished data from the most recent adult community AF injury cohort study conducted in 2007 to 2008. Injuries were ranked according to most common body regions, nature of injury, and mechanism.Main Results:In all players, lower limb injuries were the most frequent injury in community AF and were generally muscle strains, joint sprains, and superficial injuries. These injuries most commonly resulted from incidental contact with other players, or from overexertion. Upper limb injuries were less common but included fractures, strains, and sprains that were generally caused by incidental contact between players and the result of players falling to the ground.Conclusions:Lower limb injuries are common in community AF and could have an adverse impact on sustained participation in the game. Based on what is known about their mechanisms, it is likely that a high proportion of lower limb injuries could be prevented and they should therefore be a priority for injury prevention in community AF.
Combining epidemiology and biomechanics in sports injury prevention research : A new approach for selecting suitable controls
- Authors: Finch, Caroline , Ullah, Shahid , McIntosh, Andrew
- Date: 2011
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Sports Medicine Vol. 41, no. 1 (2011), p. 59-72
- Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/565900
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Several important methodological issues need to be considered when designing sports injury case-control studies. Major design goals for case-control studies include the accounting for prior injury risk exposure, and optimal definitions of both cases and suitable controls are needed to ensure this. This article reviews methodological aspects of published sports injury case-control studies, particularly with regard to the selection of controls. It argues for a new approach towards selecting controls for case-control studies that draws on an interface between epidemiological and biomechanical concepts. A review was conducted to identify sport injury case-control studies published in the peer-review literature during 1985-2008. Overall, 32 articles were identified, of which the majority related to upper or lower extremity injuries. Matching considerations were used for control selection in 16 studies. Specific mention of application of biomechanical principles in the selection of appropriate controls was absent from all studies, including those purporting to evaluate the benefits of personal protective equipment to protect against impact injury. This is a problem because it could lead to biased conclusions, as cases and controls are not fully comparable in terms of similar biomechanical impact profiles relating to the injury incident, such as site of the impact on the body. The strength of the conclusions drawn from case-control studies, and the extent to which results can be generalized, is directly influenced by the definition and recruitment of cases and appropriate controls. Future studies should consider the interface between epidemiological and biomechanical concepts when choosing appropriate controls to ensure that proper adjustment of prior exposure to injury risk is made. To provide necessary guidance for the optimal selection of controls in case-control studies of interventions to prevent sports-related impact injury, this review outlines a new case-control selection strategy that reflects the importance of biomechanical considerations, which ensures that controls are selected based on the presence of the same global injury mechanism as the cases. To summarize, the general biomechanical principles that should apply to the selection of controls in future case-control studies are as follows: (i) each control must have been exposed to the same global injury mechanism as the case, (e.g. head impact, fall onto outstretched arm); and (ii) intrinsic (individual) factors (e.g. age, sex, skill level) that might modify the person's response to the relevant biomechanical loads are adjusted when either selecting the controls or are in the analysis phase. The same considerations for control selection apply to other study designs such as matched cohort studies or case-crossover studies. © 2011 Adis Data Information BV. All rights reserved.
A prospective cohort study of the incidence of injuries among junior Australian football players : Evidence for an effect of playing-age level
- Authors: Romiti, Maria , Finch, Caroline , Gabbe, Belinda
- Date: 2008
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: British Journal of Sports Medicine Vol. 42, no. 6 (Jun 2008), p. 441-446
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Objective: To determine the rate of injury in junior Australian football, and to describe the patterns and severity of these injuries across nine levels of play (U9 to U18). Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: Junior Australian football games and training sessions were observed for 54 teams from New South Wales and Victoria over the 2004 playing season. Participants: Six teams from each level of play were invited to participate in the study. Overall, data were collected for 51 teams over 40 208 hours of player exposure. Independent variables: Participation and injury data were collected prospectively. Main outcome measures: Injury was defined as "any trauma that causes some disability or pain''. Injury severity was identified by the action of players immediately after the injury event. Results: The overall injury rate was 18.0 (95% CI 16.6 to 19.3) injuries per 1000 player hours. The main cause of injury was body contact (67.3%). There was an increased frequency of sprains and strains, and injury severity with increasing level of play. The rates of injury for players who stayed off the field (6.4 injuries per 1000 hours, 95% CI 5.6 to 7.2) or were advised to seek off-field medical advice (5.0 injuries per 1000 hours, 95% CI 4.3 to 5.7) were low. Conclusion: Compared with the adult game, junior Australian football is relatively safe. However, injury rates increase as children progress across age-determined levels of play towards the more adult form of the game.
- Description: C1
The descriptive epidemiology of sports/leisure-related heat illness hospitalisations in New South Wales, Australia
- Authors: Finch, Caroline , Boufous, Soufiane
- Date: 2008
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport Vol. 11, no. 1 (2008), p. 48-51
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Sport-related heat illness has not been commonly studied from an epidemiological perspective. This study presents the descriptive epidemiology of sports/leisure-related heat illness hospitalisations in New South Wales, Australia. All in-patient separations from all acute hospitals in NSW during 2001-2004, with an International Classification of Diseases external cause of injury code indicating "exposure to excessive natural heat (X30)" or any ICD-10 diagnosis code in the range: "effects of heat and light (T67.0-T67.9)", were analysed. The sport/leisure relatedness of cases was defined by ICD-10-AM activity codes indicating involvement in sport/leisure activities. Cases of exposure to heat while engaged in sport/leisure were described by gender, year, age, principal diagnosis, type of activity/sport and length of stay. There were 109 hospital separations for exposure to heat while engaging in sport/leisure activity, with the majority occurring during the hottest months. The number of male cases significantly increased over the 4-year period and 45+-year olds had the largest number of cases. Heat exhaustion was the leading cause of hospital separation (40% of cases). Marathon running, cricket and golf were the activities most commonly associated with heat-related hospitalisation. Ongoing development and refinement of expert position statements regarding heat illnesses need to draw on both epidemiological and physiological evidence to ensure their relevance to all levels of risk from the real world sport training and competition contexts. © 2007.
- Description: C1