Preparticipation Health Evaluation for Competitive Sports

Abstract

The large population of young people combined with the current popularity of sports has produced the largest number of sports participants in the history of our country. In 1978, the number of young people participating in high school athletics alone was cited to be 5.5 million.1 Although encouraging from both a sociologic and preventive health standpoint, an undesirable consequence of this level of participation is the high rate of injuries and death. Increasing attention is being paid to these problems, and as a result the "specialty" of sports medicine is emerging and utilizing modern epidemiologic and research methodologies. Because many serious athletic injuries and some deaths are preventable, much attention has been given to identifying risk factors in athletes and aspiring athletes. The preparticipation health evaluation (PHE) for competitive sports should be an integral component of all strenuous sports programs. The major purpose of the preparticipation evaluation is to attempt to reduce life-threatening or disabling injuries by identifying predisposing factors, recommending preparatory and/or rehabilitative measures, and assisting in matching the participants with an appropriate sport or position. The purpose of the PHE should not be to exclude youths from participation but to guide them into more appropriate activities because of a medical problem. A secondary benefit is the direct association of sports participation with good prevention health care.