Prevalence and pattern of sport injuries among college students in Delhi, India

Abstract

Background: While the benefits of sport such as gain of fitness, reducing risk of diseases, or recreation are well-known among policy makers, relatively very little attention is paid to its unwanted side-effect, the injuries. Sports injuries are a burden to both individuals and the society. Therefore, a study was conducted to determine the prevalence and pattern of sport injuries among college students in Delhi, India. Materials and Methods: The study was cross-sectional and pretested, self-administered questionnaire was used. The study was primarily directed towards the members of sports teams (both intra- and intercollege teams) and athletes in selected college in Delhi and complete enumeration of the study subjects was performed. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21. Results: The prevalence of sport injury was 73.4%. Males suffered more injuries than females. There was a significant statistical difference with age (P = 0.008), students of 20 years and above suffering more injuries than their younger participants. The prevalence of sport injuries was more among those who do not have coaches (P = 0.001, odds ratio (OR) 3.49) and also those who did not receive any formal training (P = 0.000, OR 2.26). Only 68.8% took some form of treatment and very few (26.1%) practiced injury preventive measures. Conclusion: A diligent search for factors contributing to sports injuries is essential for injury management. Attention to preventive measures and appropriate supervision will allow youngsters to continue to enjoy sports in a safer way.