Implementing Injury Prevention Research Articles

A qualitative exploration of perceived challenges and opportunities in the implementation of injury prevention and management in amateur female sport.

Coaches, practitioners, and leadership in amateur female sport must navigate many obstacles in the pursuit of athlete availability and optimal performance. The present study aims to evaluate opportunities and challenges to both injury prevention and management in amateur female sport, as experienced by mixed-gender coaches, allied healthcare professionals, and general practitioners. Semi-structured virtual interviews of coaches, allied healthcare professionals, and general practitioners (N = 25), recruited via convenience snowball sample. Data transcribed verbatim with reflexive thematic analysis through a critical realism framework. Female-specific issues, education, and resource capital were challenges to the implementation of injury prevention and management in amateur female sport, thus negatively impacting on performance, prevention, and rehabilitation. Opportunities for improved care for female athletes were developing communication and relationships, outsourcing responsibility, and providing greater education, in response to desires for such, and lastly exposure to elite sport and national governing bodies' protocols. In amateur female sport, developing communication pathways and relationships, along with upskilling coaches, can help better support female athletes, coaches, and healthcare professionals. Leaders and stakeholders must advocate for and support greater education, resourcing, and an understanding of female-specific issues in amateur female sport. It is intended that these findings will provide evidence and opportunities for discourse between stakeholders in amateur female sport to improve standard of supports for female athletes, coaches, and healthcare professionals. These findings may also help practitioners better exploit opportunities and circumvent challenges to improve the welfare and performance of amateur female athletes.

Evaluation of the effectiveness of preventive nursing measures for pressure injuries in patients in the neurology intensive care unit.

Patients in neurology intensive care units (ICU) are prone to pressure injuries (PU) due to factors such as severe illness, long-term bed rest, and physiological dysfunction. PU not only causes pain and complications to patients, but also increases medical burden, prolongs hospitalization time, and affects the recovery process. To evaluate and optimize the effectiveness of pressure injury prevention nursing measures in neurology ICU patients. A retrospective study was conducted, and 60 patients who were admitted to the ICU of the Department of Neurology were selected and divided into an observation group and a control group according to the order of admission, with 30 people in each group. The observation group implemented pressure injury prevention and nursing measures, while the control group adopted routine care. Comparison between observation and control groups following pressure injury prevention nursing intervention revealed significantly lower incidence rates in the observation group compared to the control group at 48 h (8.3% vs 26.7%), 7 d (16.7% vs 43.3%), and 14 d (20.0% vs 50.0%). This suggests a substantial reduction in pressure injury incidence in the observation group, with the gap widening over time. Additionally, patients in the observation group exhibited quicker recovery, with a shorter average time to get out of bed (48 h vs 72 h) and a shorter average length of stay (12 d vs 15 d) compared to the control group. Furthermore, post-intervention, patients in the observation group reported significantly improved quality of life scores, including higher scores in body satisfaction, feeling and function, and comfort (both psychological and physiological), indicating enhanced overall well-being and comfort following the implementation of pressure injury prevention nursing measures. Implementing pressure injury preventive care measures for neurology ICU patients will have better results.

Implementing injury prevention training in youth handball (I-PROTECT) in Sweden: study protocol for a cluster randomised trial

IntroductionEfficacy trials show that evidence-based injury prevention training reduces injuries in youth athletes but effectiveness, that is, outside the controlled setting, is lower and, consequently this training has had limited...

Practitioners’ perspective of non-contact injury risk factors and injury prevention programming in professional North American male soccer

ObjectiveTo evaluate non-contact injury prevention strategies of professional men's soccer clubs in elite North American league soccer. To understand the application, perceived effectiveness and barriers to implementation. DesignOnline cross-Sectional Study. SettingNorth American elite soccer teams. Participants96 medical and performance support staff of elite North American teams. Main outcome measureThe survey consisted of 20 questions and captured 1) practitioners' demographics; 2) perceptions of risk factors; 3) the use of assessment and monitoring strategies; and 4) perceptions of the implementation of injury prevention programmes’. ResultsInjury prevention programmes were perceived as ‘effective’ (Median 4, Interquartile range 4-4) and reduced injury rates (n = 94, 98%, 95 CI% 93 to 99). A range of potential risk factors were rated as “very important” (4.58 ± 0.52 Likert scale points; mean ± standard deviation). A multi-disciplinary approach to the design, application and monitoring of programmes was generally adopted. Competing training priorities (n = 75, 78%, 95 CI% 69 to 85) and game schedules (n = 71, 74%, 95 CI% 64 to 82) were the most prevalent barriers to injury prevention implementation. ConclusionsInjury prevention programmes were perceived as effective in reducing non-contact injuries. Managing the conflicting priorities between scheduling training, tactical and conditioning goals were considered the key barriers to desired implementation.

Perspectives of Ballet Dancers on Causes of Their Injuries and Implementation of Injury Preventive Measures by Ballet Teachers and Masters.

Ballet dancers have a high injury risk. We aimed to gain insight into the causes for acute and overuse injuries in ballet dancers and the level of implementation of injury prevention by ballet teachers/masters, as perceived by dancers. An international cross-sectional online-survey was based on the Fit-to-Dance Questionnaire and literature. Adult amateur, pre-professional, and professional ballet dancers reported the perceived causes of their injuries sustained in the previous 2 years. Multiple answers per injury were possible. Also, dancers rated the level of implementation of measures to prevent injury by their ballet teachers and ballet masters based on 21 items using a 5-point Likert scale. Causes were analyzed per-injury as well as per-dancer. 188 ballet ensembles and 51 dance organizations were contacted, from which 192 ballet dancers (mean age 27 ±7.8 yrs, 83% females) responded. 119 dancers (62%) reported 203 acute and 164 (85%) reported 469 overuse injuries. Fatigue was the most frequently perceived cause for acute injuries in the per-injury (n=89, 43.8%) and per-dancer analysis (n=63, 32.8%). For overuse injuries, pressure from the teacher/master was most frequently perceived as cause in the per-injury analysis (n=240, 51.2%), specifically in pre-/professional dancers (n=233, 61.3%). In the per-dancer analysis, fatigue/overtraining scored highest for overuse injuries (n=107; 55.7%). Other causes were previous/repetitive injuries (acute-per-injury 26.1%, acute-per-dancer 22.4%; overuse-per-injury 46.3%, overuse-per-dancer 53.1%) or erroneous dance technique (acute-per-injury 24.6%, acute-per-dancer 21.9%; overuse-per-injury 47.8%, overuse-per-dancer 45.3%). With regard to perceived level of implementation of injury preventive measures by ballet teachers/masters to prevent musculoskeletal injuries, 2 items received high ratings, 12 moderate ratings and 6 low ratings. Fatigue and pressure accounted for the majority of perceived causes for injuries. Perceived support by ballet teachers/masters regarding injury prevention was moderate to low. Future research should focus on the awareness, attitudes, and the important role of ballet teachers/masters for injury prevention in dancers.

Injury Risk and Prevention Strategies Among Saudi and Irish Amateur Women Soccer Players – A qualitative study

Abstract This qualitative study aimed to explore how Saudi and Irish women amateur soccer players perceive soccer-related injury risk and prevention, including barriers and facilitators to the implementation of prevention strategies. Online interviews were conducted with 36 amateur women soccer players (20 Saudi and 16 Irish) of 18 years and older. Findings were analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis. Three main themes were identified; (1) “we don’t have enough knowledge about injury prevention” (2) implementing injury prevention measures varies across players and teams, and (3) “we love the game…but we are undervalued”. The biopsychosocial characteristics of the players influenced their experiences on injury prevention in all three themes. Tailored educational programmes for women, their coaches, and parents of younger players, as well as provision of the required support for amateur teams are recommended to encourage participation and implementation of evidence-based injury prevention strategies, taking player’s biopsychosocial characteristics into account.

‘More than likely the men come first. That’s just very frustrating’. A qualitative exploration of contextual factors affecting the implementation of injury prevention initiatives and the provision of effective injury management in elite-level women’s club football in Ireland

ObjectivesThe aim of our study was to explore the contextual factors that affect the implementation of football injury prevention initiatives and the provision of effective injury management in the Irish...

Injuries in the Pamporovo and Borovets ski areas during the 2019-2020 season

In Bulgaria, while a sub-regulation of the Tourism Law addresses the safety and security of ski slope users, insufficient attention is given to understanding the causes of accidents, gathering feedback, and implementing injury prevention strategies for snow sports. This study aims to analyze the types of accidents and injuries reported at the Borovetz and Pamporovo ski zones during the 2019/2020 season. Various factors were considered, including the time of injury occurrence, slope difficulty, type of injury, and type of ski or snowboard equipment used. Methods that were used were frequency analysis, document analysis, and comparative analysis. Injuries were categorized into four groups: head, torso, legs, and arms. The highest number of injuries involved the legs, followed by the arms. Knee injuries were the most common type of trauma on the slopes, followed by shoulder and lower leg injuries. Among all injuries, fractures were identified as the most severe, with lower leg and collarbone fractures being the most frequently reported. The peak occurrence of severe injuries was after 12:00 PM in both ski areas. This trend can be attributed to deteriorating slope conditions due to weather factors such as sun, wind, and positive temperatures, as well as increased slope usage by other snow sports enthusiasts.

Advancements for the Future: A National Survey of Fastpitch Softball Coaches' Perspectives on Injury Prevention Programming.

Approximately 50 percent of softball injuries are the result of overuse or chronic conditions. However, research exploring preventative measures for softball players is limited and usage of injury prevention strategies among softball coaches is unknown. This survey aimed to investigate if softball coaches are implementing injury prevention programs to reduce injury and improve the performance of their players. The secondary purpose was to identify barriers to the implementation of injury prevention programs. Finally, this survey explored the coaches' knowledge of injury risk factors and their views on design and usage of preventative programs. Descriptive cross-sectional survey. A 35-item survey was sent to approximately 14,000 high school and collegiate fastpitch softball coaches throughout the United States. Data were collected over a three-month period with an overall response rate of 1.2%. Among responding coaches, 45.9% (n=79/172) reported implementing injury prevention programs. Coaches who implement injury prevention strategies most frequently utilize team-based programs (68.8%, n=52/93) compared to group-based (19.0%, n=15/93) or individualized programs (15.2%, n=12/93). Coaches who do not use preventative programming reported that being unsure of what program to perform (53.8%, n=50/93) and not having enough staff (20.4%, n=19/93) were the greatest barriers to implementation. Although over 50% of coaches recognized arm fatigue/overuse (27.9%, n=48/172) and decreased core strength (22.7%, n=39/172) were important risk factors, 36% (n=94/172) "disagree" that softball pitchers should adhere to pitch counts and 90% (n=83/92) believe that preventative programming for pitchers and position players should be similar. Less than 50 percent of softball coaches implement exercise programs to prevent injury. Limited familiarity with effective program design, inadequate staffing, and inconsistent risk factor awareness are the major contributors to lacking implementation. Collaboration between rehabilitation professionals and softball coaches regarding preventative programming should be considered. Level 3©The Author(s).

Obstacles and opportunities for injury prevention in professional football in Qatar: exploring the implementation reality

BackgroundResearch focusing on reducing the risk of injuries has increased over the last two decades showing that prevention implementation in real life is challenging.ObjectiveTo explore the experience and opinions of...

Characterization of Achilles Tendon Ruptures in Collegiate Women's Gymnastics.

Collegiate female gymnasts are at high risk of Achilles tendon injuries. Achilles tendon ruptures can negatively impact an athlete's ability to return to competitive sport. Understanding the natural history of Achilles tendon tears in collegiate female gymnasts is important in the development of preventive treatment. To expand our knowledge of the natural history of Achilles tendon ruptures among collegiate female gymnasts, a REDCap retrospective survey was emailed to athletic trainers on all 80 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) women's gymnastics teams. The survey gathered information regarding number of Achilles tendon injuries, pain prior to injuries, events and skills on which injuries occurred, and functional outcome after injuries among athletes competing in the 2013 to 2018 NCAA seasons. Forty-two of 80 (52.5%) programs responded to the survey. Seventy-one Achilles tendon ruptures were reported between 2013 and 2018. Among these, 46% had antecedent pain. Gymnasts sustained 95% of Achilles tendon ruptures while performing on floor exercise, with 98% of ruptures occurring during the take-off portion of a tumbling skill. Of the 61% of gymnasts who were able to return to competition, 59% were able to achieve the same level of function after injury. Achilles tendon ruptures in collegiate female gymnasts primarily occur during the take-off motion while tumbling on the floor exercise. Future studies should evaluate degenerative Achilles tendon changes in collegiate female gymnasts. A collaborative effort among gymnasts, coaches, judges, and medical experts is required to identify at-risk athletes and develop and implement injury prevention programs. [Orthopedics. 2023;46(4):205-210.].

Approaches to the Effective Prevention of Road Traffic Injuries in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review

Introduction: Road traffic injuries (RTI) are projected to become the 7th leading cause of mortality worldwide by the year 2030. It is projected that 90% of the global road traffic injury burden will be borne by Low and Middle-Income countries (LMICs), including sub-Saharan Africa. We undertook a systematic literature review to assess the effectiveness of implemented traffic injury prevention initiatives in sub-Saharan Africa. Methodology: A systematic review of the English literature was undertaken per the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Studies were identified by searching the electronic databases Embase, Pubmed, Medline, The Cochrane Library and an additional review of reference lists. In addition, published studies from 1990 to 2020 were extracted and analysed. Results: The literature search generated 638 articles. Twenty-two duplicates were removed, and after title and abstract screening and full-text screening, 22 articles were retained. The interventions were broadly categorised into education, enforcement, Legislation, speed control, road safety and combined interventions. Conclusion: Combined multi-faceted injury prevention strategies are most effective in Sub-Saharan Africa. Enforcement of safety regulations ensures compliance and sustainability of prevention interventions. Speed control measures are useful in calming vehicular speeds, but poor design and citing can endanger road users. Road safety, education and Legislation have little to no effect when implemented alone; however, when combined with other measures, they can lead to significant reductions in road traffic injuries and fatalities.

Coding and applying injury claims data to implement and sustain effective safe patient handling and mobility solutions

Investigating and accurately categorizing employee injury claims are essential for identifying trends and implementing effective solutions. This process is especially important for injuries associated with patient handling injuries (PHIs) for which data is often lacking. This study summarizes how improved coding of injuries for 15 years of workers’ compensation (WC) data was used to improve system-wide injury prevention efforts, in particular those related to safe patient handling and mobility (SPHM) practices across an 11-hospital region within the system. Accurate coding of caregiver injuries and implementing SPHM solutions based on this data had a significant impact on accurately identifying risk, implementing injury prevention strategies, and decreasing frequency and severity of employee injuries related to outdated manual patient handling practices.

Sustainable prevention in construction health and safety (H&S): An economic approach

The persistent health and safety (H&S) problem in the construction industry exerts an enormous economic burden on workers, society, and employers. With shrinking budgets, the contribution of H&S to productivity and business profits increasingly influences the decision to implement injury prevention programmes. Despite this, the economic perspective of H&S is missing in public discourse pertaining to injury prevention in developing countries. The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of construction professionals in Zimbabwe with regards to the degree of importance of economic factors for preventing / reducing occupational injuries, fatalities, and disease, and the extent to which economic factors / practices are applied in H&S management to prevent / reduce occupational injuries, fatalities, and disease in the construction industry. The quantitative method was adopted for the study, which entailed the completion of a self-administered questionnaire. The data analysis entailed the computation of frequencies, and a measure of central tendency in the form of mean scores (MSs) to enable interpretation of the findings and the ranking of factors. The salient findings of the study are that financial provision, setting realistic production targets and timelines, balancing production economy and H&S objectives, integration of H&S into business plans and responsible procurement are the main economic factors / practices for enhancing sustainable prevention of H&S problems. Despite this, the results show that the economic factors are marginally applied to construction H&S management in Zimbabwe. While the findings are consistent with extant literature, they provide important insights to construction stakeholders relative to the potential source of the persistent H&S problems and the interventions that may be required to improve the H&S situation. To promote the integration of economic thinking into the H&S strategy, there is a need for more awareness and education among construction stakeholders relative to the importance of addressing H&S issues from an economic perspective. Further research is required to develop models and frameworks for assisting construction practitioners to generate the required economic data to inform decision making.

2023 Resolutions: It's time to revamp your pressure injury prevention programs.

The success of any quality improvement project begins with acknowledging problems, defining and addressing each issue in detail, and setting goals. In the case of pressure injuries, the answer is fairly simple. Reduce the number of pressure injuries. Yet, the process yielding a "means to the end" is quite complex. It not only requires a team of interdisciplinary healthcare providers and leaders to ensure success; it requires continuous effort. The intention of this article is to highlight the importance of a comprehensive Pressure Injury Prevention (PIP) program and offer guidance based on evidence. Utilizing an organized framework for planning will help healthcare providers ensure all critical steps are completed. The Standardized Pressure Injury Prevention Protocol (SPIPP) provides detail surrounding the necessary steps toward compliance with best practice guidelines. A comprehensive checklist provided within the SPIPP article is designed to discuss specific details of the PIP program. The author of this article offers a broader framework and checklist, The Pressure Injury Prevention Implementation Checklist (PIPIC) based on blending several quality improvement methodologies. Challenges associated with pressure injuries continue to affect the lives of both patients and caregivers. Entering a new year, new month, or even new day brings the opportunity for change and improvement. Revamping a PIP program requires careful thought, planning, and dedication, but it is not insurmountable. Organizing a team to address the issues and approach the task with an organized, evidence-based plan will improve the overall PIP program success.

Peculiarities of the Relationships between Anxiety, Psychological Skills, and Injuries in Cuban Athletes

Background: In the present research, the general and specific relationships of anxiety and psychological skills with the history of injuries in a heterogeneous population of Cuban high-performance athletes are analyzed. Methods: Through a correlational and cross-sectional study, the Villa Clara basketball, baseball, soccer, and softball preselection’s were studied between 2019 and 2022. To obtain data on injuries, a specific questionnaire was applied. The state of the psychological variables was determined by means of the Competition State Anxiety Inventory and the Sports Execution Psychological Inventory. Data were analyzed using empirical frequency distribution, descriptive statistics, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, and Kendall's Tau_b nonparametric correlation coefficient. Results and Discussion: High anxiety and psychological skills to compete prevailed. Most of the athletes had been injured with remarkable frequency, severity and in competitions. Lower motivational level, attention and emotional control are related to the occurrence of injuries. The most serious injuries are related to high levels of anxiety, less control of attention and negative coping, while the occurrence in competition is related to less control of attitude. The relationships between variables differ between the sports analyzed. Conclusion: A lower degree of psychological preparation makes the athlete vulnerable to injury, however, the psychological risk factors are established specifically in each sport. These differences must be considered for the design and implementation of injury prevention.

Context of injury prevention strategies in Swiss basketball: survey of athletes, medical staff and coaches

ObjectivesThis project aims to assess opinions, attitudes, knowledge, beliefs, practices and perceived barriers and facilitators of injury prevention (IP) strategies in Swiss basketball teams.MethodsAn online survey was sent to athletes,...

Barriers and facilitators to implementing the Activate injury prevention exercise programme – A qualitative study of schoolboy rugby coaches

The rugby-specific Activate injury prevention exercise programme was deemed efficacious in a randomised controlled trial and subsequently disseminated nationwide by the Rugby Football Union (English rugby union governing body) in 2017. However, no assessment has been made of the factors influencing Activate implementation in an applied setting. Consequently, this study sought to assess the barriers and facilitators to coaches implementing Activate in English schoolboy rugby. This qualitative study adopted a framework approach, using four a-priori themes influencing injury prevention implementation: awareness, motivational determinants, volitional determinants and socio-environmental factors. A purposive sample of schoolboy rugby coaches were recruited from schools nationwide, participating in semi-structured, one-on-one interviews (n = 10). Transcripts were thematically coded. Participants had positive perceptions towards Activate, although only six adopted the programme. Participants reported that players were generally unaware of the programme, with some suggesting this was not an issue as coaches made the decision to adopt Activate. Participants focused heavily upon the use of resources to develop coaches’ awareness, knowledge and confidence. No participant implemented Activate as initially designed, influenced by time and engagement, instead incorporating it within training drills rather than as a block at the beginning of the session. Participants adapted the programme to make it suitable for multiple sports. Some participants reported asking players to deliver Activate, despite their lack of awareness, raising concerns around implementation. Participants heavily adapted Activate delivery to suit their contexts. How this affects the effectiveness of Activate to reduce injury risk is unknown and should be investigated. Player-specific dissemination strategies should be considered if these individuals act as delivery-agents.

The knowledge and attitudes of field hockey athletes to injury, injury reporting and injury prevention: A qualitative study

ObjectivesResearchers have often struggled to successfully implement injury prevention strategies in real-world practice. This is despite such strategies proving successful in reducing overall injury incidence and burden. It has been hypothesised that this may be because the behavioural and contextual factors related to sports injury are not fully understood. Such factors stem from multiple key stakeholders, including the athlete. The primary aim of this study was to investigate athletes' knowledge and attitudes towards injury, injury reporting and prevention, as well as some of the barriers that may impact the future implementation of prevention strategies. DesignQualitative; with semi-structured interviews following an interpretivist approach. MethodsTwenty-two field hockey athletes, playing in the top-tier Irish Hockey League were interviewed. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis, with three general dimensions containing six higher-order themes. ResultsThe findings highlighted that athletes have a varied understanding of injury, which tends to improve with experience. The reporting of injuries by athletes to members of the coaching staff was relatively poor. This may be due to limited resources and supports available to athletes which also cause challenges to injury prevention. ConclusionsFuture injury prevention strategies in field hockey need to account for athletes' varied understanding of what constitutes an injury. Furthermore, policy changes to influence potential barriers to injury may assist in preventing or reducing the number of injuries being sustained by athletes.

Stakeholder-Engaged Development of a Theory-Driven, Feasible, and Acceptable Approach to Concussion Education.

Concussion education is widely mandated and largely ineffective. Recent consensus guidance on concussion education asserts the importance of (1) theory-driven programming that targets the team as a system and (2) working with end users throughout the development process, and considering issues such as feasibility, acceptability, and sustainability. Consistent with this guidance, and in collaboration with youth sport stakeholders in two regions of the United States, we developed a novel approach to concussion education: Pre-game safety huddles. Safety huddles have the following two core components: (1) athletes, coaches, and other stakeholders come together before the start of each game and (2) opinion leaders (coaches, referees) affirm the importance of care seeking for suspected concussion. The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the collaborative process through which we refined the safety huddle concept into an acceptable and feasible intervention with potential for sustainable implementation in diverse youth sports settings with minimal resource demands. In describing our process and discussing challenges and opportunities, we hope to provide an example for others seeking to develop and implement injury prevention interventions in youth sports settings.