title: Preparticipation injury complaint is a risk factor for injury: a prospective study of the Moscow 2013 IAAF Championships.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the health status of athletes before the start of an international athletics championship and to determine whether preparticipation risk factors predicted in-championship injuries.
  
  
  METHODS
  At the beginning of the 2013 International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championships, all registered athletes (n=1784) were invited to complete a preparticipation health questionnaire (PHQ) on health status during the month preceding the championships. New injuries that occurred at the championships were prospectively recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The PHQ was completed by 698 (39%) athletes; 204 (29.2%) reported an injury complaint during the month before the championships. The most common mode of onset of preparticipation injury complaints was gradual (43.6%). Forty-nine athletes in the study reported at least one injury during the championships. Athletes who reported a preparticipation injury complaint were at twofold increased risk for an in-championship injury (OR=2.09; 95% CI 1.16 to 3.77); p=0.014). Those who reported a preparticipation gradual-onset injury complaint were at an almost fourfold increased risk for an in-championship time-loss injury (OR=3.92; 95% CI 1.69 to 9.08); p=0.001). Importantly, the preparticipation injury complaint severity score was associated with the risk of sustaining an in-championship injury (OR=1.14; 95% CI 1.06 to 1.22); p=0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  About one-third of the athletes participating in the study reported an injury complaint during the month before the championships, which represented a risk factor for sustaining an injury during the championship. This study emphasises the importance of the PHQ as a screening tool to identify athletes at risk of injuries before international championships.
authors.affiliation: Medical and Anti-doping Commission, International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), Monaco, Monaco Sports Medicine Department, Aspetar, Qatar Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: Juan-Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Alonso
authors.affiliation: Athletics Research Center, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden Swedish Athletics Association, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Jenny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jacobsson
authors.affiliation: Athletics Research Center, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Toomas
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6049-5402
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Timpka
authors.affiliation: Medical and Anti-doping Commission, International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), Monaco, Monaco Aker Solutions, Lysaker, Norway.
authors.forename: Ola
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ronsen
authors.affiliation: Medical and Anti-doping Commission, International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), Monaco, Monaco Institute of Sport, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Alma
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kajenienne
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Örjan
authors.initials: Ö
authors.lastname: Dahlström
authors.affiliation: Athletics Research Center, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Armin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spreco
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Exercise Physiology, Sports Medicine Unity, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital of Saint-Etienne, Saint-Etienne, France Laboratory of Exercise Physiology (LPE EA 4338), University of Lyon, Saint-Etienne, France Medical Commission, French Athletics Federation (FFA), Paris, France.
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Edouard
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009031:Moscow / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D057566:Self Report; D013177:Sports / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Athletics; Epidemiology; Injuries; Risk factor