Abstract
BackgroundAlthough injuries related to sports and recreation represent a significant burden to children and youth, few studies have examined the descriptive epidemiology of sports-related injury since 2005, and some sports such as ringette have not been evaluated to date. The primary purpose of this study was to provide the descriptive epidemiology of sports-related injuries treated in emergency departments for children and youth aged 5 – 19.MethodsA retrospective data analysis was performed using data from the Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program [CHIRPP] from fiscal years (April – March) 2007/08 to 2009/10. CHIRPP is a computerized information system designed by the Public Health Agency of Canada that collects information about injuries to people evaluated in emergency departments across 11 pediatric hospitals and 5 general hospitals in Canada. Thirteen sports or activities were analyzed (baseball, basketball, cycling, football, ice hockey, lacrosse, ringette, rugby, skiing, sledding, snowboarding, soccer, and volleyball). Descriptive statistics, including frequency by sport, age and sex, as well as the percent of concussions within each sport were calculated.ResultsOut of a total of 56, 691 reported sports and recreational injuries, soccer accounted for the largest proportion of injuries with 11,941 reported cases over the 3 year time period. Of these, approximately 30% were fractures. The 10 – 14 year age group reported the greatest proportion of injuries in 10 out of the 13 sports analyzed. In addition, males reported a greater number of overall injuries than females in 11 out of the 13 sports analyzed. The largest percentage of concussions was reported in ringette; these injuries accounted for 17.1% of overall injuries within this sport.ConclusionsInjury prevention programs in Canada should focus on improving evidence-based programs to reduce the burden of injuries in all sports.
Highlights
Injuries related to sports and recreation represent a significant burden to children and youth, few studies have examined the descriptive epidemiology of sports-related injury since 2005, and some sports such as ringette have not been evaluated to date
One Canadian study reported that cycling, basketball and soccer accounted for the greatest number of reported injuries to a pediatric hospital, while another found that cycling had the highest number of injuries of any sport in Canada, accounting for 13.5% of all Sports-related injuries (SRI) [3]
Canadian hospitals injury reporting and prevention program (CHIRPP) is a computerized information system designed by the Public Health Agency of Canada that collects information about injuries to people evaluated in emergency departments across 11 pediatric hospitals and 5 general hospitals in Canada
Summary
Injuries related to sports and recreation represent a significant burden to children and youth, few studies have examined the descriptive epidemiology of sports-related injury since 2005, and some sports such as ringette have not been evaluated to date. The primary purpose of this study was to provide the descriptive epidemiology of sports-related injuries treated in emergency departments for children and youth aged 5 – 19. Several studies have reported higher injury rates for boys, but more severe injuries for girls [1,2,7] It remains unclear whether males or females are more likely to sustain SRIs and how these injuries vary by sport. One Canadian study reported that cycling, basketball and soccer accounted for the greatest number of reported injuries to a pediatric hospital, while another found that cycling had the highest number of injuries of any sport in Canada, accounting for 13.5% of all SRIs [3]
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