Epidemiology of acute soccer injuries in canadian children and youth.
OBJECTIVE
To describe acute injury characteristics in children and youth soccer players and to identify the characteristics of patients who required hospital admission.


METHODS
The analysis of the study was based on the Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program. A total of 32,149 patients (aged 5-19 years) with soccer-related injuries presenting to 16 participating hospital emergency departments from 1994 to 2004 were included in the analysis.


RESULTS
Males had the highest proportion of injuries (62%). The leading injuries were sprains/strains (38%), followed by fractures/dislocations (31%) and superficial injuries (23%). A total of 896 cases (3%) required hospital admission. Based on logistic regression analysis, being a male, playing unorganized soccer, having multiple body injuries, playing soccer outside school premises, and playing during the summer/fall increased the likelihood of hospital admission. Moreover, having a head/face/neck injury (Odds ratio [OR], 1.3; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.1-1.7) and trunk injury (OR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.2-2.4) as compared with an upper extremity injury and having injuries from contact with structures/surfaces (OR, 3.1; 95% CI, 2.2-4.3) and with other players (OR, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.8-3.5) as compared with ball contact had the highest odds of hospital admission.


CONCLUSIONS
Soccer accounted for a significant proportion of injuries presented to Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program emergency departments during 1994-2004. Further studies investigating potential interventional programs and techniques among this population are highly warranted.
School of Kinesiology and Health Science, York University, Toronto, Canada.
Maria
M
Giannotti
Ban
B
Al-Sahab
Steve
S
McFaull
Hala
H
Tamim
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D016208:Databases, Factual; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018570:Risk Assessment; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012916:Soccer / Q000293:injuries*; D017695:Soft Tissue Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D013180:Sprains and Strains / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D055815:Young Adult