ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Injury history as a risk factor for incident injury in youth soccer

K L Kucera¹, S W Marshall¹, D T Kirkendall², P M Marchak³ and W E Garrett, Jr⁴

¹ Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA
² Department of Orthopaedics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
³ Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
⁴ Department of Orthopaedics, Duke University

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
K L Kucera
Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7435, USA; kkucera{at}email.unc.edu

Objectives: To determine if athletes with a self reported history of previous injury have a higher incident injury rate than athletes without a self reported injury history.

Methods: A prospective cohort study of Classic League soccer players playing at the level under 12 through under 18. Injury history forms were mailed to all registering Classic League soccer players in the North Carolina Youth Soccer Association during 1997–2000 (n = 7000); 1483 (19%) returned the baseline questionnaire and were followed up for injuries.

Results: There were 5139 player-seasons of follow up and an estimated 171 957 athlete-exposures. More than half self reported an injury history (59.7%). Overall, the unadjusted incidence rate was 4.6 (95% confidence interval (CI) 4.3 to 4.9) incident injuries per 1000 athlete-exposures. Multivariate generalised Poisson regression modelling indicated that players with one previous injury had a twofold greater risk of incident injury (IRR = 2.6; 95% CI 2.0 to 3.3), and those with two or more previous injuries had a threefold greater risk of incident injury (IRR = 3.0; 95% CI 2.3 to 3.8) compared with athletes with no previous injuries.

Conclusions: Injury history was associated with an increased injury rate. This suggests that, even in these youth soccer players, those with an injury history may be at higher risk.

Abbreviations: CI, confidence interval; IR, injury incidence rate; IRR, injury incidence rate ratio; OR, odds ratio

Keywords: injury; soccer; multivariate regression; Poisson regression; lower limb; adolescent

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  
• Steffen, K., Myklebust, G., Andersen, T. E., Holme, I., Bahr, R. (2008). Self-Reported Injury History and Lower Limb Function as Risk Factors for Injuries in Female Youth Soccer. Am J Sports Med 36: 700-708 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Timpka, T., Risto, O., Bjormsjo, M. (2008). Boys soccer league injuries: a community-based study of time-loss from sports participation and long-term sequelae. Eur J Public Health 18: 19-24 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Collins, C. L., Micheli, L. J., Yard, E. E., Comstock, R. D. (2008). Injuries Sustained by High School Rugby Players in the United States, 2005-2006. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 162: 49-54 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Spinks, A. B, McClure, R. J (2007). Quantifying the risk of sports injury: a systematic review of activity-specific rates for children under 16 years of age. Br. J. Sports. Med. 41: 548-557 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Tscholl, P, O'Riordan, D, Fuller, C W, Dvorak, J, Gutzwiller, F, Junge, A (2007). Causation of injuries in female football players in top-level tournaments. Br. J. Sports. Med. 41: i8-i14 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Hagglund, M, Walden, M, Ekstrand, J (2006). Previous injury as a risk factor for injury in elite football: a prospective study over two consecutive seasons. Br. J. Sports. Med. 40: 767-772 [Abstract] [Full Text]