School Sport and Academic Achievement

BACKGROUND: Physical Education and School Sport (PESS) is an integral part of the school curriculum in Ireland. Historically the “Healthy Body, Healthy Mind” philosophy has promoted the inclusion of PESS alongside more cognitive school subjects. Research suggests that PESS can promote cognitive function and provide educational benefits. However, there is little research on how the choice of school sport influences academic achievement. This study investigated how participation in school sport influences the Leaving Certificate points score in an Irish secondary school. In particular, the study will investigate how the particular sport chosen by students participating in school sport during their Leaving Certificate years influences their Leaving Certificate results. METHODS: We recorded the Leaving Certificate scores and sports participation from 402 boys graduating from a secondary school in the Ireland during 2008‐2011. Sports participation was assigned 1 of 4 categories: rugby, rowing, soccer, and no sport. RESULTS: Participation in sports during the Leaving Certificate years conferred a 25.4‐point benefit to the final Leaving Certificate score. However, participation in rowing, the only individual sport available in the study, resulted in significantly higher Leaving Certificate scores than rugby, soccer and no sport (p < .05), conferring an additional 73.4‐point benefit over the next highest group, rugby. CONCLUSION: Promoting participation in school sport and providing access to a range of team and individual sports throughout the secondary school years may be a beneficial way to improve students' Leaving Certificate results.     

Sports injury experiences from the Western Australian Sports Injury Cohort Study

OBJECTIVE: The Western Australian Sports Injury Study is the first prospective cohort study of sports injuries sustained during community-level sports participation in Australia. METHODS: The players were nonprofessional/non-elite participants of hockey, Australian football, basketball and netball from metropolitan Perth. Players completed a baseline questionnaire relating to their sports injury history, training practices, protective equipment use, demographic profile, general health and lifestyle factors. Sports participation and injury experiences were monitored by monthly telephone surveys over two consecutive five-month winter sporting seasons during 1997 and 1998. RESULTS: Of the 1,512 players recruited into the initial cohort, 966 (i.e. 64%) responded to at least 700% of the callback surveys over the two-year follow-up. Across all sports, the injury incidence rate was 16.1 injuries/ 1,000 exposure hours (both games and training). Injury rates were highest in Australian football and lowest in netball. Lower limb injuries were twice as common as those to the upper limb (67% vs. 31%). Three-quarters of injured players sought treatment from a health care practitioner. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: This is the first longitudinal study of injuries to community-based sports participants in Australia. Compared with elite sports participants, the risk of injury is relatively low. The results provide valuable direction for the design and conduct of further aetiological studies.     

Boys soccer league injuries: a community-based study of time-loss from sports participation and long-term sequelae

Background: Youth soccer is important for keeping European childrenphysically active. The aim of this study is to examine injuriessustained in a community soccer league for boys with regardto age-related incidence, time lost from participation and long-termsequelae. Methods: Primary injury data was collected from asoccer league including 1800 players, comprising approximately25% of all boys 13–16 years of age in three Swedish municipalities(population 150 000). Injuries were primarily identified basedon a time loss definition of sports injury. At the end of theseason, a physician interviewed every player who reported injuredto determine whether there were any remaining sequelae. If asequela was confirmed, the physician repeated the interview6, 18 and 48 months after the end of the season. Results: Forty-fourinjuries were recorded during 18 720 player game hours (2.4injuries per 1000 player game hours). The highest injury incidence(6.8 injuries per 1000 player game hours) was recorded in thefirst-year elite divisions. Thirty-two injuries (73%) were categorizedas moderate-severe, and 21 injuries (48%) required medical attention.Eight injuries caused sequelae that remained 6 months afterthe end of the season, and 3 injuries caused sequelae that lasted4 years after the injury event. Conclusion: An overall low injuryrate makes soccer a suitable sport for inclusion in programmesthat promote physical activity among children. When organizingsoccer leagues for boys, injury prevention programmes shouldbe provided to adolescent players when they begin playing incompetitive divisions.     

Gender differences in adolescent injury characteristics: a population-based study of hospital A&E data

OBJECTIVES: To investigate patterns of adolescent home/leisure injury serious enough to require hospital attendance. STUDY DESIGN: Population-based analysis of data collected by the Home and Leisure Accident Surveillance System (HASS/LASS). METHODS: Study subjects were 0-17 year old residents of Airdrie and Coatbridge, Lanarkshire, Scotland, who attended Monklands Hospital Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department with a home/leisure injury during calendar years 1996-1999. Male to female relative risk ratios (M:F RRRs) for A&E attendance, fracture and hospital admission, stratified into sports and non-sports injuries, were calculated. Sports injuries were further analysed by specific sports and by whether the sports activity was organized or informal. Data were analysed in age groups corresponding to children's stage of schooling. RESULTS: The M:F RRR for non-sports A&E attendances remained constant throughout childhood (1.35, 95% CI 1.30-1.39 in 0-17 year olds), whilst that for sports attendances increased sharply with age (2.50, 95% CI 0.89-7.02 in 0-4 year olds, increasing to 8.11, 95% CI 6.27-10.51 in 16-17 year olds). Of sports injury attendances, 50.3% were football-related. Football was overwhelmingly the main cause of boys' sports injury in both the organized and informal sports injury categories. When football injuries were excluded from the analysis, the widening teenage gender gap in injury risk disappeared. There was no significant gender difference in teenagers' rates of A&E attendance for injuries sustained during compulsory school physical education (PE), suggesting a dose-response relationship between sports participation and injury risk. CONCLUSIONS: This study found significant gender inequalities in adolescent injury risk, which were largely attributable to boys' football injuries. Focusing prevention efforts on making football safer would, then, be a sensible strategy for reducing the overall burden of adolescent injury and for reducing sex inequalities in injury risk; however further research is needed to understand how the risks differ between organized and informal football. These findings are also interesting because of what they suggest about teenage girls' lack of participation in sport and habitual physical activity. This is clearly of public health concern because of the links between physical inactivity and a range of health problems.     

Evaluation of protective equipment for prevention of injuries in rugby union

BACKGROUND: Rugby union has a high rate of injury. The increased use of protective equipment may help mitigate these injuries. This study investigated the injury prevention effectiveness of the protective equipment used in rugby union. METHODS: A cohort of 304 rugby players in Dunedin, New Zealand was followed weekly during the 1993 club season to assess protective equipment use, participation in rugby, and injury outcomes. Generalized Poisson regression was used to model the rate of injury while adjusting for covariates such as level of competition, playing position, and injury history. RESULTS: The use of mouthguards appeared to lower the risk of orofacial injury [rate ratio (RR) = 0.56, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.07-4.63], and padded headgear tended to prevent damage to the scalp and ears (RR = 0.59, 95% CI: 0.19-1.86). Support sleeves tended to reduce the risk of sprains and strains (RR = 0.58, 95% CI: 0.26-1.27). The risk of concussion was not lessened by the use of padded headgear (RR = 1.13, 95% CI: 0.40-3.16) or mouthguards (RR = 1.62, 95% CI: 0.51-5.11). There was no evidence of protective effects for any other equipment item (taping, shinguards, and grease). CONCLUSIONS: The protective equipment used in rugby union has limited effectiveness in preventing injuries. The results are supportive, however, of a role for mouthguards and padded headgear in preventing orofacial and scalp injuries, respectively, and for support sleeves in preventing sprains and strains.     

An ecologic study of protective equipment and injury in two contact sports

BACKGROUND: Contact sports have high rates of injury. Protective equipment regulations are widely used as an intervention to reduce injury risk. The purpose of this study was to investigate the injury prevention effect of regulations governing protective equipment in two full-body contact sports. METHODS: Injury rates in US collegiate football were compared to New Zealand club Rugby Union. Both sports involve significant body contact and have a high incidence of injury. Extensive body padding and hard-shell helmets are mandated in collegiate football but prohibited in Rugby Union. RESULTS: The injury rate in football was approximately one-third the rugby rate (rate ratio [RR] = 0.35; 95% CI: 0.31-0.40). The head was the body site with the greatest differential in injury incidence (RR = 0.11; 95% CI: 0.08-0.16). Rugby players suffered numerous lacerations, abrasions, and contusions to the head region, but the incidence of these injuries in football was almost zero (RR = 0.01; 95% CI: 0.01-0.03). Injury rates were more similar for the knee (RR = 0.61; 95% CI: 0.43-0.87) and ankle (RR = 0.72; 95% CI: 0.46-1.13), two joints largely unprotected in both sports. CONCLUSIONS: The observed differences are consistent with the hypothesis that regulations mandating protective equipment reduce the incidence of injury, although important potential biases in exposure assessment cannot be excluded. Further research is needed into head protection for rugby players.     

Parental safety concerns – a barrier to sport and physical activity in children?

OBJECTIVE: To examine the extent to which parents and carers perceive injury and safety risks as serious enough to prevent or discourage their children, aged 5-12 years, from participating in sports/physical activity and to identify factors that influence these perceptions. METHODS: An analysis of the 2001 New South Wales Child Health Survey. RESULTS: More than one-quarter of parents/ carers of active children aged 5-12 years reported discouraging or preventing children from playing a particular sport (34.7% for boys and 16.6% for girls) because of injury and safety concerns. In boys, the most frequently discouraged sport was rugby league (23.2%), followed by rugby union (7.5%) and Australian rules football (2.8%). Among girls, the most frequently discouraged activities were rollerblading (2.7%), rugby league (2.3%) and soccer (2.1%). Multivariate analysis shows that factors independently associated with parents' decision to prevent/discourage their child from engaging in sport/physical activity include their child's age and gender, language spoken at home, presence of disability, and the respondent's relation to the child. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Efforts need to be made to modify some sports/ activities, such as football codes, in order to minimise injury and to ensure that children continue enjoying their favourite activity well into adulthood. Guidelines designed to promote physical activity among children and young adolescents need to take into account parental concerns regarding the associated risk of injury.     

Childhood pedestrian injuries: what can changes to the road environment achieve?

Abstract: With the lack of any significant reduction in the mortality rates from pedestrian injury in Western Australia over the past decade, the need for efficacious prevention strategies is paramount. Using data from a case–control study of childhood pedestrian injuries, this study considered the effect on public health of an environmental initiative for prevention. Population–attributable risk proportions were calculated for the variables 'volume of traffic' and 'visual obstacles', which were found to predict the likelihood of pedestrian injury. The results suggest that 41 per cent (95 per cent confidence interval (CI) 13 to 62) of childhood pedestrian injuries can be attributed to volumes of traffic in excess of 10 000 vehicles per week, and 20 per cent (CI 11 to 48) of injuries can be attributed to visual obstacles on the street verge. It was also estimated that childhood pedestrian injuries could be reduced by up to 30 per cent if children's exposure to roads with volumes of traffic exceeding 10 000 vehicles per week, could be reduced to 15 per cent or less. Similarly, a reduction of up to 8 per cent could occur if visual obstacles on the roadside were reduced to 15 per cent. Changes to the road environment have potential to prevent injury to children.     

Residential injuries in U.S. children and adolescents

OBJECTIVES: Injuries are the leading cause of death and disability for U.S. children, but little research exists on injury in the home environment. The purpose of this study was to estimate the rate and severity of and trends in unintentional residential injury for U.S. children <20 years for 1993-1999. METHODS: Data on emergency department (ED) visits were obtained from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS). Rates and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using SUDAAN. Chi-square analysis was used to test for differences among proportions. Time trends were analyzed using linear regression. RESULTS: Residential injuries accounted for an average of 4.01 million (95% CI 3.50 million, 4.56 million) ED visits each year for U.S. children, representing 39% of unintentional injury ED visits. There were an average of 531,000 (95% CI 456,000, 606,000) visits with moderate-to-severe injuries, resulting in 73,680 (95% CI 59,715, 87,645) hospital admissions annually. The rate of residential injury visits (excluding unknown locations) was 5.6 per 100 (95% CI 4.9 per 100, 6.4 per 100). The visit rates for children <5 years of age were higher than those for children >9 years (p<0.0001). Males had a higher rate of visits than females (p=0.01). Falls were the leading mechanisms, resulting in 1.5 million ED visits per year (95% CI 1.3 million, 1.8 million). Residential injury rates decreased by 28% over time (p<0.02), from 6.3 per 100 (95% CI 3.4, 9.2) in 1993 to 4.5 per 100 (95% CI 2.3, 6.7) in 1999. CONCLUSIONS: The predominant location of injury for U.S. children is the home, accounting for 4.01 million ED visits and more than 70,000 hospitalizations each year. Efforts targeted to the home environment are needed to reduce morbidity and mortality from unintentional injury in U.S. children.     

凤冈县农村学龄儿童运动伤害现况及危险因素分析

目的 了解遵义市凤冈县农村学龄儿童运动伤害现状及危险因素,为制定相关预防措施提供科学依据。方法 采用多阶段整群随机抽样抽取遵义市凤冈县三所中小学四至七年级学生共465名,用自制问卷调查近一年运动伤害发生情况。结果 凤冈县农村儿童运动伤害年发生率为18.71%,男童高于女童（22.63% vs 14.41%）;七年级儿童运动伤害发生率最高为29.28%,五年级最低为7.76%;留守儿童高于非留守儿童（22.26% vs 12.20%）;住校儿童高于走读儿童（24.53% vs 13.83%）;伤害时的主要活动是奔跑（33.33%）;损伤类型主要是擦伤（40.23%）。多因素Logistic回归分析显示:运动前未热身（OR=3.834,95% CI:1.362～10.792）,无人陪护（OR=2.403,95% CI:3.742～30.616）,在水泥地板上运动（OR=4.175,95% CI:1.457～11.964）,穿皮鞋（OR=7.301,95% CI:1.736～30.705）或者凉鞋（OR=4.316,95% CI:1.245～14.966）是伤害发生的危险因素。关于“扭伤后冷敷”,未发生伤害儿童的知晓率高于发生伤害儿童（χ2=5.36,P=0.021）,其它问题的知晓率差异无统计学意义（均有P>0.05）。结论 凤冈县农村儿童运动伤发生的危险因素较为明确,应给予针对性的干预措施,从而降低伤害发生率。     

Health and safety implications of injury in professional rugby league football

BACKGROUND: Professional sport is characterized by high injury rates but is also covered by health and safety legislation. AIM: To examine the incidence of injury in professional rugby league as defined by the Reporting of Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR 95). METHODS: All injuries received during playing and training to both first-team and 'academy' (<19 years old) players during two playing seasons at one professional club were recorded. The length of time a player was unable to take part in full training and playing was used as a measure of severity. Injuries were classified into minor injuries (0-3 days), over 3 day injuries or major injuries, in which the final two categories corresponded with RIDDOR 95. RESULTS: Thirty-two per cent (95% confidence interval=26-39%) of all injuries received satisfied the RIDDOR 95 criteria. The overall injury rate was 8.5 per 1000 h (7.2-9.9) for the first team and 4.1 per 1000 h (3.2-5.4) for the academy team. During match play the first-team injury rate was 157.7 per 1000 h (133.5-185.1) and 67.7 (51-81.1) for the academy team. Training injury rates were lower, at 0.5 per 1000 h (0.2-1.0) and 0.3 per 1000 h (0.1-0.8), respectively. CONCLUSION: The injury rate for professional rugby league is much higher than reported in other high-risk occupations such as mining and quarrying. The large differences in injury rates between first and academy teams have implications for young players likely to progress to first-team status.     

Injuries due to falls from horses

Abstract: This study describes the epidemiology of injuries due to falls from horses in New Zealand. There were 54 fatalities from 1977 to 1986 (0.17 per 100 000 persons per year). There were 773 hospitalisations in 1987 (23.7 per 100 000 persons per year). Head injuries were predominant among both fatal and nonfatal injuries. The incidence of nonfatal head injury in the 10 to 19 age group was significantly higher than the incidence in all older groups (P = 0.003). Young people, particularly females, were the segment of the population most affected by the problem of falls from horses. Reference to data on horse-riding participation rates, however, did not indicate that young people were overrepresented in the series studied. Reference to the same data showed that the rate of hospitalisation due to falls from horses is comparable to the rate for injuries from playing rugby. The magnitude and severity of the problem indicates that there is a need need for helmet use, safe-riding practices, and further research.     

Years of potential life lost (YPLL) before age 65 in Italy.

The Italian death rates and years of potential life lost (YPLL) for all causes and for 12 selected aggregations of causes are reported for 1979 and 1983, with the latter compared to United States data. Cancer is the leading cause of YPLL in Italy (23.8 per cent of total YPLL), followed by unintentional injuries (16.3 per cent) and heart disease (11.2 per cent). Rates of YPLL for all causes decreased 12.0 per cent from 1979 to 1983, the strongest declines in absolute terms being observed for prematurity and unintentional injuries, and in percentage decline for pneumonia and influenza, and infectious diseases; during the same period, YPLL for diabetes increased. The rates of YPLL are higher for males than for females (rate ratio = 1.9) especially for causes related to lifestyle factors. Premature mortality is lower in Italy than in the USA, because of the striking difference in mortality from injuries and heart diseases.     

广东省四城市青少年伤害发生现况及其社会经济损失

目的：阐明青少年伤害的发生现况和常见伤害类型的原因,评价其社会经济损失及危害程度。方法：１９９８￣１９９９年在广州,茂名,江门,汕头等市采用分层整群抽样方法,调查１９所学校１４５３３名７￣１８岁的中小学生１年中发生伤害的情况,伤害的判断标准是：（１）到医院或校医室诊治,（２）因伤休息０．５ｄ以上,（３）由家长或老师做紧急处理。结果：１年内发生伤害６９４１人,发生率为４７．７６％（男生５０．０８％,     

Evaluating Tackling Rugby Injury: the pilot phase for monitoring injury

OBJECTIVE: To assess the suitability of two previously unused data sources for monitoring rugby injury throughout New Zealand. METHOD: Interviews were conducted with respondents sampled from players registered with the Rugby Football Unions (RFUs) and players claiming for rugby injuries from the Accident Rehabilitation and Compensation Insurance Corporation (ACC) in Auckland and Dunedin. RESULTS: Of the 500 RFU players sampled, 63% were interviewed and of these 39 (12%) had been injured playing rugby union. Of the 456 ACC claimants sampled, 66% were interviewed and 265 (88%) had been injured playing rugby union. CONCLUSION: Identifying injured players through ACC claims was more efficient, both procedurally and because a smaller sample size was required to detect changes in incidence. IMPLICATIONS: With no routine surveillance of sports injury being undertaken, recording sporting codes in national injury surveillance systems would assist the monitoring of sports injury.     

Injury morbidity in 18-64-year-olds: impact and risk factors

BACKGROUND: Non-fatal injury is an important public health problem but is thought to be difficult to quantify. This study aimed to estimate the extent of disability attributable to injury in the working age population, and its impact on quality of life, as well as identifying factors associated with an increased risk of disabling and non-disabling injury. METHODS: Secondary analysis was carried out of data obtained from a postal questionnaire survey of 8889 18-64-year-olds randomly selected from computerized general practitioner records in Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Northamptonshire. RESULTS: Sixteen per cent of survey respondents reported an injury requiring medical attention in the previous 12 months, 5 per cent reported an injury that had disabled them for more than 1 month, and a further 5 per cent a longstanding disability as a result of injury. The point prevalence of disability as a result of injury was estimated to be 6.4 per cent. SF-36 scores suggest that the quality of life of people reporting injury-related disability was markedly reduced. Social class is associated less with injury morbidity than with injury mortality. Sport was the commonest cause of all injuries, and of disabling injuries. There was a dose-response relationship between vigorous exercise and injury. CONCLUSIONS: Injury is a significant cause of disability in the working age population. It is potentially feasible to monitor injury-related disability in postal questionnaire surveys. Estimates of health gain to be achieved from participation in sport should take account of injury-related disability.     

某市3所大学学生体育运动伤害情况

目的 了解大学生体育运动伤害发生状况及其影响因素，为开展预防大学生体育运动伤害健康教育提供依据。方法 按不同年级分层抽样，采用自编调查表进行问卷调查。结果 大学生体育运动伤害发生率为54．79％，其中男生为61．17％，女生为38．70％，差异有非常显性（P＜0．01）。球类，田径等大运动量项目伤害比例最高，受伤类型以扭伤，碰撞多见。受伤原因主要是技术不熟练和准备活动不充分。结论 应加强预防大学生体育运动伤害的健康教育。     

Trends in childhood and parental asthma prevalence in Merseyside, 1991-1998

OBJECTIVE: To determine changes in childhood and parental asthma prevalence in Merseyside between 1991 and 1998. METHODS: Three standardized cross-sectional respiratory health surveys using a parent-completed questionnaire were completed in 1991 (n = 1171), 1993 (n = 2368) and 1998 (n = 1964) amongst primary school children (5-11 years) attending the same 10 schools. The main outcome measures were prevalence of reported doctor diagnosed asthma, the symptom triad of cough, wheeze and breathlessness (C+W+B+) and parental asthma. RESULTS: Significant changes in prevalence for all respiratory variables occurred between 1991 and 1998, except for the symptom triad C+W+B+. Between 1991 and 1998 the prevalence of reported doctor diagnosed asthma increased from 17.7 to 29.8 per cent (p < 0.001), history of wheezing increased from 22.5 to 29.4 per cent (p < 0.001). The symptom triad of C+W+B+ changed from 9.6 to 9.9 per cent (p = 0.78). Childhood reported hospital admissions for respiratory illness increased from 5.5 to 10.7 per cent (p < 0.001). Paternal asthma increased from 6.5 per cent in 1991, to 8.6 per cent in 1998 (p = 0.031), and maternal asthma almost doubled in the same period from 6.6 to 11.2 per cent (p < 0.001). Children living in poorer areas (Townsend score 8-11) were more likely to have doctor diagnosed asthma (OR = 2.99, 95 per cent CI, 2.06 to 4.33) and C+W+B+ (OR = 2.17, CI 1.13 to 4.18). Childhood obesity was significantly associated with increased risk of both doctor diagnosed asthma (OR = 1.74, 95 per cent CI, 1.29 to 2.37) and C+W+B+ (OR = 1.88, 95 per cent CI, 1.21 to 2.90). CONCLUSION: A rising prevalence of reported doctor diagnosed asthma, but not C+W+B+ was observed during the 1990s in a low socio-economic area of Liverpool. Asthma prevalence was related to socio-economic deprivation and was associated with obesity. The rising prevalence of reported doctor diagnosed asthma is likely to be attributable to several factors, including changes in diagnostic labelling and the distribution of factors related to socio-economic status.