Emma M Mueller, Craig P Eberson, Mia V Rumps, Shreya M Saraf, Mary K Mulcahey
{"title":"Gender based disparities in research on injuries in NCAA athletes.","authors":"Emma M Mueller, Craig P Eberson, Mia V Rumps, Shreya M Saraf, Mary K Mulcahey","doi":"10.1080/00913847.2025.2491111","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Females participate in clinical research at a much lower rate than males, leading to clinical outcome disparities. The objective of this study was to determine whether gender-based disparities exist in orthopedic sports medicine injury research on NCAA college student-athletes.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A PubMed search was conducted in September 2023 using the search terms 'NCAA,' 'injury,' and each of the 24 individual NCAA sports between 1980 and 2023. Statistical analysis was performed via determination of adjusted correlation coefficient R<sup>2</sup> and multiple linear regression models. Gender was the independent variable, number of studies was the dependent variable.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of 1,553 studies initially identified, 790 met inclusion criteria and underwent full-text review. Of NCAA studies that assessed injury rates (injury rate studies) and those that evaluated other outcomes such as performance (non-injury rate studies), 468 of 790 (59%) discussed male collegiate athletes and 318 (40%) discussed females. For females, there was a negative association between athlete-exposure rate and injury rate studies (expected decrease of 0.31 studies per 100,000 athlete-exposures) and between athlete-exposure rate and non-injury rate studies (decrease of 0.007). For males, there was a positive association for each (increase of 1.15 and 1.96). Injury rates were positively associated with injury rate study numbers for both males and females (increase of 3.71). There was no significant relationship between injury rates and non-injury rate study numbers for either gender.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study demonstrates gender disparities in orthopedic sports medicine injury research for collegiate athletes. There was a negative association between athlete-exposure rate and injury rate or non-injury rate studies for female NCAA athletes, but a positive association for males.</p><p><strong>Clinical relevance: </strong>It is important to ensure that sports medicine research is focused on both male and female NCAA athletes to be able to evaluate injuries, outcomes, and opportunities for injury prevention.</p>","PeriodicalId":51268,"journal":{"name":"Physician and Sportsmedicine","volume":" ","pages":"1-9"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8000,"publicationDate":"2025-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Physician and Sportsmedicine","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00913847.2025.2491111","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"ORTHOPEDICS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Objectives: Females participate in clinical research at a much lower rate than males, leading to clinical outcome disparities. The objective of this study was to determine whether gender-based disparities exist in orthopedic sports medicine injury research on NCAA college student-athletes.
Methods: A PubMed search was conducted in September 2023 using the search terms 'NCAA,' 'injury,' and each of the 24 individual NCAA sports between 1980 and 2023. Statistical analysis was performed via determination of adjusted correlation coefficient R2 and multiple linear regression models. Gender was the independent variable, number of studies was the dependent variable.
Results: Of 1,553 studies initially identified, 790 met inclusion criteria and underwent full-text review. Of NCAA studies that assessed injury rates (injury rate studies) and those that evaluated other outcomes such as performance (non-injury rate studies), 468 of 790 (59%) discussed male collegiate athletes and 318 (40%) discussed females. For females, there was a negative association between athlete-exposure rate and injury rate studies (expected decrease of 0.31 studies per 100,000 athlete-exposures) and between athlete-exposure rate and non-injury rate studies (decrease of 0.007). For males, there was a positive association for each (increase of 1.15 and 1.96). Injury rates were positively associated with injury rate study numbers for both males and females (increase of 3.71). There was no significant relationship between injury rates and non-injury rate study numbers for either gender.
Conclusion: This study demonstrates gender disparities in orthopedic sports medicine injury research for collegiate athletes. There was a negative association between athlete-exposure rate and injury rate or non-injury rate studies for female NCAA athletes, but a positive association for males.
Clinical relevance: It is important to ensure that sports medicine research is focused on both male and female NCAA athletes to be able to evaluate injuries, outcomes, and opportunities for injury prevention.
期刊介绍:
The Physician and Sportsmedicine is a peer-reviewed, clinically oriented publication for primary care physicians. We examine the latest drug discoveries to advance treatment and recovery, and take into account the medical aspects of exercise therapy for a given condition. We cover the latest primary care-focused treatments serving the needs of our active patient population, and assess the limits these treatments govern in stabilization and recovery.
The Physician and Sportsmedicine is a peer-to-peer method of communicating the latest research to aid primary care physicians’ advancement in methods of care and treatment. We routinely cover such topics as: managing chronic disease, surgical techniques in preventing and managing injuries, the latest advancements in treatments for helping patients lose weight, and related exercise and nutrition topics that can impact the patient during recovery and modification.