TY - JOUR
T1 - Epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and risk factors for running-related injuries among south african trail runners
AU - Viljoen, Carel T.
AU - van Rensburg, Dina C. Janse
AU - Verhagen, Evert
AU - van Mechelen, Willem
AU - Korkie, Elzette
AU - Botha, Tanita
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
PY - 2021/11/30
Y1 - 2021/11/30
N2 - Trail running involves running on varying natural terrains, often including large elevation gains/losses. Trail running has a high risk of injury, and runners often participate in remote regions where medical support is challenging. The aim of this study was to determine the epidemiology, clinical characteristic, and associated injury risk factors among trail runners. A modified Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center Questionnaire for Health Problems (OSTRC-H) was used biweekly to collect running-related injury (RRI) and training history data prospectively, among 152 participants (males n = 120, females n = 32) over 30 weeks. We report an overall injury rate of 19.6 RRIs per 1000 h and an RRI mean prevalence of 12.3%. The leading anatomical site of RRIs was the lower limb (82.9%), affecting the knee (29.8%), shin/lower leg (18.0%), and the foot/toes (13.7%). A history of previous RRI in the past 12 months (p = 0.0032) and having a chronic disease (p = 0.0188) are independent risk factors for RRIs among trail runners. Two in three trail runners sustain an RRI mainly affecting the knee, shin/lower leg, and foot/toes. A history of previous RRI in the past 12 months and a having chronic disease is independently associated with RRI among trail runners. These results could be used to develop future RRI prevention strategies, combined with clinical knowledge and experience.
AB - Trail running involves running on varying natural terrains, often including large elevation gains/losses. Trail running has a high risk of injury, and runners often participate in remote regions where medical support is challenging. The aim of this study was to determine the epidemiology, clinical characteristic, and associated injury risk factors among trail runners. A modified Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center Questionnaire for Health Problems (OSTRC-H) was used biweekly to collect running-related injury (RRI) and training history data prospectively, among 152 participants (males n = 120, females n = 32) over 30 weeks. We report an overall injury rate of 19.6 RRIs per 1000 h and an RRI mean prevalence of 12.3%. The leading anatomical site of RRIs was the lower limb (82.9%), affecting the knee (29.8%), shin/lower leg (18.0%), and the foot/toes (13.7%). A history of previous RRI in the past 12 months (p = 0.0032) and having a chronic disease (p = 0.0188) are independent risk factors for RRIs among trail runners. Two in three trail runners sustain an RRI mainly affecting the knee, shin/lower leg, and foot/toes. A history of previous RRI in the past 12 months and a having chronic disease is independently associated with RRI among trail runners. These results could be used to develop future RRI prevention strategies, combined with clinical knowledge and experience.
KW - Chronic disease
KW - History of RRI
KW - Lower limb injury
KW - Off-road running
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85120076422&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182312620
DO - https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182312620
M3 - Article
C2 - 34886345
SN - 1661-7827
VL - 18
JO - International journal of environmental research and public health
JF - International journal of environmental research and public health
IS - 23
M1 - 12620
ER -