Female sex, training volume and sleep amount are risk factors for sports-related injuries: a 1-year prospective cohort study on adolescent elite athletes.

Abstract

Background: There are limited studies regarding risk factors for sports-related injuries in adolescent athletes.

Objectives: The primary aim was to identify risk factors for sustaining a sports-related injury among adolescent athletes during a follow-up of up to 1 year. A further aim was to investigate sex differences.

Methods: Potential risk factors in adolescent elite athletes (n=171) were addressed through a baseline questionnaire. An injury was defined as any physical complaint resulting from competition or training, regardless of medical attention or time loss. The occurrence of new injuries was prospectively monitored during the following year using weekly questionnaires. χ² test and independent t-test were used to analyse sex differences in baseline data. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine baseline variables as potential risk factors for the appearance of new injuries.

Results: Female sex (OR 3.51, p=0.02) increased the injury risk. Training ≥9 sessions/week increased the risk in males (OR 3.98, p=0.03). Sleep amount ≥8 hours/night (OR 0.16, p=0.049) decreased the risk in females. Male athletes trained ≥9 sessions/week to a greater extent compared with female athletes (57% of males vs 30% of females (p<0.001)). The yearly injury prevalence for all athletes was 81%.

Conclusions: Female sex is a risk factor for sports-related injuries in adolescent athletes, as well as low sleep amount in females and high weekly training volume in males. Adolescents are injury-prone, and further development and optimisation of programmes for injury prevention is crucial, especially in female adolescent athletes.