title: Sports injuries and ill-health episodes in the Cali 2013 World Games.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The World Games is a multisport event, second in importance only to the Olympic Games. Systematic surveillance of injuries and ill-health episodes is an essential part of modern integral healthcare given to athletes.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe and analyse injuries and ill-health episodes affecting competitors during the Cali World Games 2013.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a cross-sectional study of injuries and ill-health episodes suffered by competing athletes. Entries to the registry were systematically recorded by official doctors and medical staff at the Games, and included attention to emergencies at the sport venues and data of reports received from health facilities around the city.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In all, 2824 athletes, 1216 women and 1608 men, participated in the 2013 Cali World Games. There were 88 injuries and 29 ill-health episodes, for an overall incidence of 31.2 injuries and 10.3 ill-health episodes per 1000 athletes, over an 11 day period. The highest incidence of sport associated injuries affected jiu-jitsu athletes. Hands were the most common site of injury. Injury rates for men and women were 35.5 and 25.5/1000 athletes, respectively, (RR=1.41, 95% CI 0.90 to 2.19, p=0.066). National delegations with less than 25 athletes suffered more injuries compared to larger delegations, with 40.9 vs 29.2 injuries per 1000 athletes (RR 1.4, 95% CI 0.85 to 2.30, p=0.12). The gastrointestinal system was the most affected by illness. The sport where most competitors suffered ill-health episodes was softball. The rate of ill-health episodes in women was 15/1000, and for men 6.8/1000 athletes (RR=2.16, 95% CI 1.03 to 4.56, p=0.038).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  3.1% of the athletes had sport-related injuries, and 1% had at least one episode of ill health. These are low numbers compared to other multisport events such as the Olympic Games. Men had a higher incidence of injuries, and women a higher incidence of episodes of ill health. Future World Games should improve data-collection strategies and develop preventive measures accordingly.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics , Fundación Valle del Lili , Cali , Colombia.
authors.forename: Paulo José
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Llinás
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics , Fundación Valle del Lili , Cali , Colombia.
authors.forename: Rafael Fernando
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Serrano
authors.affiliation: Surgical Clinics Department, Universidad Javeriana , Cali , Colombia.
authors.forename: Laureano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Quintero Barrera
authors.affiliation: Sports Science Center , Coldeportes , Bogotá , Colombia.
authors.forename: Juan Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Quiceno Noguera
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Fundación Valle del Lili, Cali, Colombia; Center for Clinical Investigations, Fundación Valle del Lili, Cali, Colombia.
authors.forename: Juan Pablo
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Martinez Cano
keywords: Athlete; Illness; Injury; Sports; Surveillance