@article {Timpka20, author = {T Timpka and K Lindqvist}, title = {Evidence based prevention of acute injuries during physical exercise in a WHO safe community}, volume = {35}, number = {1}, pages = {20--27}, year = {2001}, doi = {10.1136/bjsm.35.1.20}, publisher = {British Association of Sport and Excercise Medicine}, abstract = {Objective{\textemdash}To evaluate a community based programme for evidence based prevention of injuries during physical exercise. Design{\textemdash}Quasi-experimental evaluation using an intervention population and a non-random control population. Participants{\textemdash}Study municipality (population 41 000) and control municipality (population 26 000) in Sweden. Main outcome measures{\textemdash}Morbidity rate for sports related injuries treated in the health care system; severity classification according to the abbreviated injury scale (AIS). Results{\textemdash}The total morbidity rate for sports related injuries in the study area decreased by 14\% from 21 to 18 injuries per 1000 population years (odds ratio 0.87; 95\% confidence interval (CI) 0.79 to 0.96). No tendency towards a decrease was observed in people over 40. The rate of moderately severe injury (AIS 2) decreased to almost half (odds ratio 0.58; 95\% CI 0.50 to 0.68), whereas the rate of minor injuries (AIS 1) increased (odds ratio 1.22; 95\% CI 1.06 to 1.40). The risk of severe injuries (AIS 3{\textendash}6) remained constant. The rate of total sports injury in the control area did not change (odds ratio 0.93; 95\% CI 0.81 to 1.07), and the trends in the study and control areas were not statistically significantly different. Conclusion{\textemdash}An evidence based prevention programme based on local safety rules and educational programmes can reduce the burden of injuries related to physical exercise in a community. Future studies need to look at adjusting the programme to benefit all age groups.}, issn = {0306-3674}, URL = {https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/35/1/20}, eprint = {https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/35/1/20.full.pdf}, journal = {British Journal of Sports Medicine} }