Health and economic burden of running-related injuries in runners training for an event: A prospective cohort study.
Prospective running-related injury (RRI) data from runners training for an event are scarce, especially with regard to RRI-associated costs. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and economic burden of RRIs in runners participating in an organized training program preparing them for an event. This was a prospective cohort study with 18 weeks of follow-up. Individuals aged 18 or older and registered to participate in an organized running program were eligible. Follow-up surveys were sent every 2 weeks to collect data about running exposure, RRIs, and costs. Of the 161 potential participants, 53 (32.9%) were included in this study. A total of 32 participants reported 41 RRIs. The mean prevalence during follow-up was 30.8% [95% confidence interval (CI) 25.6-36.0%]. Overuse was the main mechanism of RRI (85.4%, n = 35). An RRI was estimated to have an economic burden of €57.97 (95% CI €26.17-94.00) due to healthcare utilization (direct costs) and €115.75 (95% CI €10.37-253.73) due to absenteeism from paid work (indirect costs). These results indicate that the health and economic burden of RRIs may be considered significant for public health. Therefore, prevention programs are needed for runners participating in organized training programs.
Department of Public and Occupational Health and the EMGO+ Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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Hespanhol Junior
Department of Public and Occupational Health and the EMGO+ Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.|School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.|Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, UCT/MRC Research Unit for Exercise Science and Sports Medicine (ESSM), Cape Town, South Africa.|School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Population Sciences, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
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van Mechelen
Theresialyceum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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Postuma
Department of Public and Occupational Health and the EMGO+ Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.|Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, UCT/MRC Research Unit for Exercise Science and Sports Medicine (ESSM), Cape Town, South Africa.|Australian Centre for Research into Injury in Sport and Its Prevention, Federation University Australia, Ballarat, Victoria, Australia.
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Verhagen
D000328:Adult; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology; D017281:Cost of Illness; D012090:Cumulative Trauma Disorders / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D064797:Physical Conditioning, Human / Q000009:adverse effects; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012420:Running / Q000293:injuries*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
Sports injury; costs and cost analysis; epidemiological monitoring; epidemiology; public health surveillance