Number and percentage of affected systems, causes, estimated duration of time loss, and main diagnoses of illnesses during 11 international athletics championships according to type of championships and sex
| All championships (n=11) | Indoor championships (n=5) | Outdoor championships (n=6) | |||||
| Total (n=12 594) | Total (n=2913) | Female* (n=1338) | Male* (n=1575) | Total (n=9681) | Female (n=4428) | Male (n=5253) | |
| Total number of illnesses (n (%)) | 546 (100.0) | 60 (100.0) | 28 (100.0) | 31 (100.0) | 486 (100.0) | 243 (100.0) | 243 (100.0) |
| Affected systems (n (%)) | |||||||
| Upper respiratory tract | 164 (30.0) | 23 (38.3) | 8 (28.6) | 14 (45.2) | 141 (29.0) | 61 (25.1) | 80 (32.9) |
| Lower respiratory tract | 13 (2.4) | 1 (1.7) | 1 (3.6) | 0 (0.0) | 12 (2.5) | 5 (2.1) | 7 (2.9) |
| Gastrointestinal | 109 (20.0) | 12 (20.0) | 7 (25.0) | 5 (16.1) | 97 (20.0) | 59 (24.3) | 38 (15.6) |
| Cardiovascular | 84 (15.4) | 1 (1.7) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (3.2) | 83 (17.1) | 40 (16.5) | 43 (17.7) |
| Urogenital, gynaecological or reproductive | 17 (3.1) | 1 (1.7) | 1 (3.6) | 0 (0.0) | 16 (3.3) | 16 (6.6) | 0 (0.0) |
| Endocrine or metabolic | 6 (1.1) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 6 (1.2) | 2 (0.8) | 4 (1.6) |
| Haematological or immunological | 1 (0.2) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (0.2) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (0.4) |
| Neurological, central nervous system | 54 (9.9) | 11 (18.3) | 4 (14.3) | 7 (22.6) | 43 (8.8) | 22 (9.1) | 21 (8.6) |
| Dermatological/skin | 30 (5.5) | 7 (11.7) | 5 (17.9) | 2 (6.5) | 23 (4.7) | 15 (6.2) | 8 (3.3) |
| Musculoskeletal | 16 (2.9) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 16 (3.3) | 5 (2.1) | 11 (4.5) |
| Dental | 14 (2.6) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 14 (2.9) | 5 (2.1) | 9 (3.7) |
| Ophthalmological/otological | 9 (1.6) | 2 (3.3) | 2 (7.1) | 0 (0.0) | 7 (1.4) | 1 (0.4) | 6 (2.5) |
| Psychiatric/psychological | 27 (4.9) | 2 (3.3) | 0 (0.0) | 2 (6.5) | 25 (5.1) | 12 (4.9) | 13 (5.3) |
| Others | 1 (0.2) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (0.2) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (0.4) |
| Missing | 1 (0.2) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (0.2) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (0.4) |
| Causes of illnesses (n (%)) | |||||||
| Pre-existing disease | 28 (5.1) | 5 (8.3) | 2 (7.1) | 3 (9.7) | 23 (4.7) | 12 (4.9) | 11 (4.5) |
| Infection | 168 (30.8) | 23 (38.3) | 13 (46.4) | 9 (29.0) | 145 (29.8) | 66 (27.2) | 79 (32.5) |
| Environmental | 61 (11.2) | 7 (11.7) | 4 (14.3) | 3 (9.7) | 54 (11.1) | 30 (12.3) | 24 (9.9) |
| Nutritional | 20 (3.7) | 4 (6.7) | 3 (10.7) | 1 (3.2) | 16 (3.3) | 9 (3.7) | 7 (2.9) |
| Drug reaction | 4 (0.7) | 1 (1.7) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (3.2) | 3 (0.6) | 1 (0.4) | 2 (0.8) |
| Exercise related | 148 (27.1) | 7 (11.7) | 3 (10.7) | 4 (12.9) | 141 (29.0) | 68 (28.0) | 73 (30.0) |
| Psychiatric | 5 (0.9) | 1 (1.7) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (3.2) | 4 (0.8) | 2 (0.8) | 2 (0.8) |
| Other | 92 (16.8) | 7 (11.7) | 1 (3.6) | 6 (19.4) | 85 (17.5) | 48 (19.8) | 37 (15.2) |
| Missing | 20 (3.7) | 5 (8.3) | 2 (7.1) | 3 (9.7) | 15 (3.1) | 7 (2.9) | 8 (3.3) |
| Estimated duration of time loss (n (%)) | |||||||
| No time loss | 342 (62.6) | 45 (75.0) | 21 (75.0) | 23 (74.2) | 297 (61.1) | 141 (58.0) | 156 (64.2) |
| 1–7 days | 149 (27.3) | 12 (20.0) | 5 (17.9) | 7 (22.6) | 137 (28.2) | 72 (29.6) | 65 (26.7) |
| 8–28 days | 8 (1.5) | 1 (1.7) | 1 (3.6) | 0 (0.0) | 7 (1.4) | 4 (1.6) | 3 (1.2) |
| Missing | 47 (8.6) | 2 (3.3) | 1 (3.6) | 1 (3.2) | 45 (9.3) | 26 (10.7) | 19 (7.8) |
| Main diagnoses of illnesses | |||||||
| Upper respiratory tract infection | 102 (18.7) | 13 (21.7) | 5 (17.9) | 7 (22.6) | 89 (18.3) | 37 (15.2) | 52 (21.4) |
| Exercise-induced dehydration/fatigue /hypotension/collapse | 84 (15.4) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 84 (17.3) | 40 (16.5) | 44 (18.1) |
| Gastroenteritis/diarrhoea | 72 (13.2) | 10 (16.7) | 6 (21.4) | 4 (12.9) | 62 (12.8) | 34 (14.0) | 28 (11.5) |
| Cardiovascular pain | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) |
| Neurological | 26 (4.8) | 4 (6.7) | 1 (3.6) | 3 (9.7) | 22 (4.5) | 8 (3.3) | 14 (5.8) |
| Other diagnoses | 262 (48.0) | 33 (55.0) | 16 (57.1) | 17 (54.8) | 229 (47.1) | 124 (51.0) | 105 (43.2) |
*Information regarding sex is missing for one illness (occurred during indoor championships).