title: The effectiveness of the nationwide BokSmart rugby injury prevention program on catastrophic injury rates.
abstract: Rugby Union ("rugby") participants have a higher than average risk of injury compared with participants of other popular team sports. BokSmart, a nationwide injury prevention program was launched in South Africa in mid-2009, with the goal of reducing catastrophic head/neck (serious) injuries in players. The program provides injury prevention information to coaches and referees. This study investigated if BokSmart has been associated with a reduction in these injuries. The BokSmart program collected data on all South African rugby-related serious injuries since 2008. Using a Poisson regression, injury numbers were compared pre-BokSmart (2008-2009) to the years post-implementation (2010-2013). Player numbers were assumed to be constant throughout this evaluation: junior = 529,483; senior = 121,663. In junior players, the "post-BokSmart" period had 2.5 less annual serious injuries than "pre-BokSmart" (incidence rate ratio: 0.6, 95% confidence interval: 0.5-0.7, P < 0.000). In contrast, there was no significant difference in these periods in seniors. The absence of effect in seniors may be a result of fewer players or of differences in effectiveness of BokSmart in this group--future studies should investigate these questions.
authors: Department of Public and Occupational Health, EMGO+ Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.|Division of Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors: J C
authors: JC
authors: Brown
authors: Department of Public and Occupational Health, EMGO+ Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Verhagen
authors: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Knol
authors: Department of Public and Occupational Health, EMGO+ Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.|Division of Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors: W
authors: W
authors: Van Mechelen
authors: Division of Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors: M I
authors: MI
authors: Lambert
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005538:Football / Q000293:injuries*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D019838:Neck Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D015397:Program Evaluation; D013019:South Africa; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*
keywords: Primary prevention; football; program evaluation; spinal injuries; wounds and injuries/prevention and control