Youth and Interschool Sport Injuries - Research Paper Example

of Paper Football is currently one of the most popular youth sports in the United s, even thoughit has a high rate of injury; and, between 1990 and 2007, football-related injuries rose 26.5% (Nation et al. 2011). One study that was done on the subject is described in the article titled, “Football-Related Injuries Among 6- to 17-Year-Olds Treated in US Emergency Departments, 1990-2007” (Id.). Prior research estimated that the US has between 300,000 and 1.2 million injuries annually that are related to football (Shankar et al., 2007). Since the injury rate is so high, better injury prevention strategies must be developed; and, in order to develop them, more research is needed to help fill in all the gaps in the existing research.

Very little research on youth football-related injuries currently exists that has a nationally representative sample (Nation et al., 2011). For example, many prior studies only included injuries occurring in organized league play and disregarded injuries that happened during unorganized play (Id.). Some other prior studies focus only on one specific geographic location or type of injury; therefore, none of those studies contained a sample that represents the national population so the results are not widely applicable (Id.). In order to obtain more widely applicable results, the current research included children from 6- to 17-years old that had been treated for a football-related injury in a US emergency department between 1990 and 2007 (Id).

Similar to prior research, the study found that injuries differed in location based on the age of the player, with younger children (6 to 11 years) having greater odds of upper extremity injury and older children (12 to 17 years) having greater odds for lower extremity injury (Malina et al., 2006; Nation et al., 2011). Further research is needed in order to understand why certain age groups are at higher risk for injury in different locations. Also similar to prior research, Sprains, strains and fractures were found to be the most common football-related injury treated in emergency departments from 1990 to 2007; and, fractures, dislocations and concussions make up one-third of injuries and were more likely to result in hospitalization (Id.). Furthermore, less football-related injuries presented in emergency departments from schools with certified athletic trainers; however, currently only about 42% of schools have certified athletic trainers (Nation et al., 2011). As indicated by these results, all youth football programs should have certified athletic trainers, as it would help with injury prevention and decrease injury risk.

More research of youth football-related injuries is essential in order to increase prevention and decrease the risk of injury. Another study conducted on youth football-related injuries examined time-loss and non-time-loss injuries which is described in the article “Time-Loss and Non-Time-Loss Injuries in Youth Football Players” (Dompier et al., 2007). This was the first study that examined time-loss and non-time-loss in football players as young as the fourth grade as it included children from 5- to 14-years-old.

Time-loss injuries are more severe than non-time-loss injuries by definition and are associated with greater health care costs and disability (Id.). All data was collected by athletic trainers that would assess and document all incidents of both time-loss and non-time-loss injuries. Youth football players were found to have a 36.5% risk of injury overall which is fairly consistent with prior research (Id.). Also consistent with prior research, the majority of injuries, approximately 58.6%, were non-time-loss injuries and were usually assessed and treated by athletic trainers (Id.). This finding demonstrates the benefit and necessity of having athletic trainers in youth football programs which is repeatedly indicated in nearly all of the existing research on youth football-related injuries (Dompier et al.

, 2007; Malina et al., 2006; Nation et al., 2011; Shankar et al., 2007). Without the presence of an athletic trainer, injuries are most likely assessed by coaches and parents with very little, if any, first aid training. The study also found that the most common injuries reported were contusions to the hands and wrists, followed by sprains and strains, most of which were non-time-loss injuries and were assessed and treated by the athletic trainers; however, had a trainer not been present when the injury occurred, many of those injuries may have been assessed as time-loss injuries (Dompier et al., 2007). While much more research is needed on youth football-related injuries, the existing research has many similar findings.

The most important result of the research is the need for increased and more effective injury prevention strategies in youth football programs. In order to develop these strategies, a better understanding of the risk of certain types of injuries to certain players at certain ages must be obtained through more extensive research. Furthermore, nearly all of the existing research is in agreement that certified athletic trainers are essential and should be present in all youth football programs. Works Cited Dompier, T.P., Powell, J.W., Barron, M.J. & Moore, M.T. “Time-Loss and Non-Time-Loss Injuries in Youth Football Players.

” Journal of Athletic Training 42(3) (2007): 395-402. Retrieved from www.journalofathletictraining.org. Malina, R.M., Morano, P.J., Barron, M., Miller, S.J., Cumming, S.P. & Kontos, A.P. “Incidence and Player Risk Factors for Injury in Youth Football.” Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine 16 (2006): 214-22. Nation, A.D., Nelson, N.G., Yard, E.E., Comstock, R.D. & McKenzie, L.B. “Football-related Injuries among 6- to 17-Year Olds Treated in US Emergency Departments, 1990-2007.” Clinical Pediatrics 50(3) (2011): 200-07.

Retrieved from http://cpj.sagepub.com/content/50/3/200. Shankar, P.R., Fields, S.K., Collins, C.L., Dick, R.W. & Comstock, R.D. “Epidemiology of High School and Collegiate Football Injuries in the United States, 2005-2006.” American Journal of Sports Medicine 35 (2007): 1295-1303.