Background The bfu has the mandate to make sure that the aspects of injury prevention are taken into consideration in the process of promoting sports and physical activity for the sake of improving public health.

Objective To determine to what extent the promotion of physical activity and sports can have a effect on the risk of incurring an injury at the population level.

Methods Systematic review of pertinent literature and consultation proceedings involving national and international experts.

Results There is evidence demonstrating that children who intensively engage in sports activities run a higher risk of incurring an injury, with some indication of a dose-effect relationship. Playing sports and doing strenuous physical activity are closely linked to a higher risk of incurring bone fractures as well as to a higher global injury risk. There is no correlation between non-sport related physical activity and global injury risk and that less intensive sports and physical activity can even help prevent accidents resulting in bone fractures.

An increased level of sport and physical activity may be associated with more cases of sport and activity related injuries when considering the general population. People who do not do sport or physical activity on a regular basis are more likely to incur more severe injuries when engaging in such activity. Higher levels of physical activity are not necessarily related to an increased all-cause injury rate.

There is a reduction in the risk of falls for those who do participate in physical activity programmes. Higher levels of physical activity can also be associated with a reduced risk of incurring osteoporotic fractures.

Conclusion The bfu will participated in a study 2011 to determine for children and adults at working age which instructions and training programmes lead to a decrease in injury risk, in order to optimise sports and physical activity promotion programmes.