title: High school cross country running injuries: a longitudinal study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the incidence rate of injury among high school cross country runners over a 15-year period.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective-longitudinal.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-three high schools in western Washington State under the surveillance of the University of Washington Athletic Health Care System between 1979-1994.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and ninety-nine cross country teams.
  
  
  METHODS
  Injuries resulting from running in a cross country practice or meet.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 1,622 injuries for an overall injury rate of 13.1/1,000 athletic exposures (AEs), i.e., participation of a runner in a practice or meet. Girls had a significantly higher overall injury rate (16.7/1,000 AEs) than boys (10.9/1,000 AEs) (p < 0.0001). Girls also had significantly higher injury rates than boys for both initial (p < 0.0001) and subsequent injuries (p < 0.0001), especially those at the same body location (p = 0.0001). This difference in risk estimates was consistent over a 15-year period. Nearly three-fourths of the injuries resulted in < or =4 days of disability. Overall, higher rates of initial injuries were reported during practices (9.2/1,000 AEs) than in meets (7.8/1,000 AEs) (p = 0.04). Shin injuries had the highest overall rates of new injury (1.9/1,000 AEs) and reinjury at the same body location (53.9/1,000 AEs). Girls had significantly higher initial injury rates than boys for shin (p < 0.0001), hip. and foot injuries (p < 0.01), and higher reinjury rates for knee. calf, and foot injuries, respectively (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study suggest that girl cross country runners are at higher risk of injury and reinjury than boy cross country runners.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle 98052, USA.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Rauh
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Margherita
authors.forename: S G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Rice
authors.forename: T D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Koepsell
authors.forename: F P
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Rivara
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003163:Competitive Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007869:Leg Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence; D012420:Running / Q000293:injuries*; D012737:Sex Factors; D013178:Sports Medicine