title: Groin pain and soccer players: male versus female occurrence.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Groin pain is common in soccer players. Comparison of results from different studies, especially between genders, is difficult as studies use different definitions and data collection procedures. Therefore we conducted a study of both male and female soccer players enabling direct gender comparison.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study enrolled 479 male soccer players aged 25 years (17-43) (mean with range) and 144 female soccer players aged 23 years (16-47), who answered a mailed questionnaire that included specific questions on groin pain and sports history. Data are presented as proportions (%) or as mean with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Groin pain was experienced by 55% of male soccer players and 28% of female soccer players, resulting in an odds ratio (OR) of 2.9 (95% CI 1.9, 4.5). Groin pain occurred more often in the preseason, than during the rest of the season in both male and female players (both P<0.001). Playing position in the team or playing league did not seem to influence the risk of suffering groin pain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In soccer players, male gender and preseasonal training appear to be risk factors for developing groin pain.
authors.affiliation: Clinical and Molecular Osteoporosis Research Unit Department of Clinical Sciences and Orthopedics Lund University, Skåne University Hospital Malmo, Sweden - magnus.karlsson@med.lu.se.
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Karlsson
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dahan
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Magnusson
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nyquist
authors.forename: B E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Rosengren
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D005260:Female; D006119:Groin; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D010806:Physical Education and Training; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012621:Seasons; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012916:Soccer; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult