SHORT REPORT

How valid is a self reported 12 month sports injury history?

B J Gabbe¹, C F Finch¹, K L Bennell² and H Wajswelner³

¹ University of Monash, Melbourne, Australia
² University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
³ Australian Institute of Sport

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Dr Gabbe
Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Central and Eastern Clinical School, Alfred Hospital, Monash University, Commercial Road, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 3004; belinda.gabbe{at}med.monash.edu.au

Background: A past injury history is one of the most commonly cited risk factors for sports injury. Often, injury history data are collected by self report surveys, with the potential for recall bias.

Objective: To assess the accuracy of a 12 month injury history recall in a population of 70 community level Australian football players.

Methods: The retrospective, self reported injury histories of 70 community level Australian football players were compared with prospective injury surveillance records for the same 12 month period. The accuracy of the players’ recall of the number of injuries, injured body regions, and injury diagnosis was assessed.

Results: Recall accuracy declined as the level of detail requested increased. All players could recall whether or not they were injured during the previous year. Almost 80% were able to accurately recall the number of injuries and body regions injured, but not the diagnoses, whereas only 61% were able to record the exact number, body region, and diagnosis of each injury sustained.

Discussion: The findings of this study highlight the difficulty of using retrospectively collected injury data for research purposes. Any injury research relying on self reported injury history data to establish the relation between injury history and injury risk should consider the validity of the self report injury histories.

Keywords: self reporting; injury; validity

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Brooks, M. A., Schiff, M. A., Rivara, F. P. (2009). Identifying Previous Sports Injury Among High School Athletes. CLIN PEDIATR 48: 548-550  
• Askling, C. M., Tengvar, M., Saartok, T., Thorstensson, A. (2008). Proximal Hamstring Strains of Stretching Type in Different Sports: Injury Situations, Clinical and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Characteristics, and Return to Sport. Am J Sports Med 36: 1799-1804 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Abbott, K, Klarenaar, P, Donaldson, A, Sherker, S (2008). Evaluating SafeClub: can risk management training improve the safety activities of community soccer clubs?. Br. J. Sports. Med. 42: 460-465 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Donaldson, L J, Reckless, I P, Scholes, S, Mindell, J S, Shelton, N J (2008). The epidemiology of fractures in England. J. Epidemiol. Community Health 62: 174-180 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Reider, B. (2007). Total Recall. Am J Sports Med 35: 1431-1432 [Full Text]  
• Nathanson, A., Bird, S., Dao, L., Tam-Sing, K. (2007). Competitive Surfing Injuries: A Prospective Study of Surfing-Related Injuries Among Contest Surfers. Am J Sports Med 35: 113-117 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Malliaras, P, Cook, J, Ptasznik, R, Thomas, S (2006). Prospective study of change in patellar tendon abnormality on imaging and pain over a volleyball season.. Br. J. Sports. Med. 40: 272-274 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Williamson, I J S, Goodman, D, Delaney, J (2006). Converging evidence for the under-reporting of concussions in youth ice hockey * Commentary. Br. J. Sports. Med. 40: 128-132 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Gabbe, B J, Finch, C F, Bennell, K L, Wajswelner, H (2005). Risk factors for hamstring injuries in community level Australian football. Br. J. Sports. Med. 39: 106-110 [Abstract] [Full Text]