Prevalence of Sports Injuries Among Athletes With Disabilities: A Meta-analysis

Abstract

Objectives

To synthesize the prevalence and risk factors of sports injuries in athletes with disabilities through a meta-analysis.

Data Sources

Web of Science, PubMed, EBSCO, SpringerLink, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang Data.

Study Selection

We selected cross-sectional studies on the prevalence of sports injuries in athletes with disabilities published between 2006 and 2024.

Data Extraction

Two researchers independently performed literature screening, data extraction, and literature quality assessment. The Joanna Briggs Institute Prevalence Critical Appraisal Tool was selected for the study to assess the methodological quality of the included studies. Literature publication bias was assessed using funnel plots, Begg's, and Egger's tests in Stata 17.0 software.

Data Synthesis

A total of 20 studies were included (n=25,683). The meta-analysis revealed a 30.9% (95% CI, 26.9%-34.9%) prevalence of sports injuries in athletes with disabilities. Subgroup analyses showed a higher prevalence of acute traumatic injuries than chronic traumatic injuries and acute chronic traumatic injuries, a higher prevalence of upper extremity injuries than lower extremity injuries, trunk and head and neck injuries, and a higher prevalence of athletic injuries in sample sizes <1000 than in sample sizes ≥1000 (P<.001).

Conclusions

The prevalence of sports injuries in athletes with disabilities was 30.9%, with a higher prevalence of acute traumatic injuries and upper extremity injuries. Preventive measures for acute trauma and upper limb injuries include increasing cushioning coverage in site design, introducing dynamic electromyography (EMG) monitoring techniques, developing injury risk prediction systems, among others. In interpreting the results of these studies, the large heterogeneity among the source studies is taken into account, which may limit the generalizability of the pooled estimates. Future studies should use standardized injury surveillance protocols (eg, consensus definitions and exposure time reporting) and stratify analyses by disability type and sport to develop more targeted injury prevention strategies.