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Sharp rise in youth soccer injuries calls for greater prevention efforts
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The increase in youth soccer-related injuries — particularly closed head injuries and concussions that have risen by an annual rate of almost 1,600% during a 25-year period — emphasizes the need for better prevention strategies, according to study findings published in Pediatrics.
“The sport of soccer has changed dramatically in the last 25 years,” Huiyun Xiang, MD, PhD, MPH, director of research core at the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, said in a press release. “We’re seeing athletes play year-round now thanks to club, travel and rec leagues, and the intensity of play is higher than it ever has been. These factors combine to lead to more risk of injury.”
To investigate the epidemiology behind youth soccer-related injuries, Xiang and colleagues culled data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System on children aged 7 to 17 years treated at EDs in the United States for soccer injuries from 1990 to 2014.
An estimated 3 million children, or about 119,831 annually, presented to EDs with soccer-related injuries during the study period, and the annual injury rate per 10,000 players increased significantly by 111.4%. Of those mishaps identified by mechanism, the majority of injuries occurred when a player was struck by the ball or another player (38.5%) or from a fall (28.7%). Concussions and other closed head injuries accounted for 7.3% of all injuries; however, the annual rate of these events per 10,000 players increased by 1,595.6% during the study period.
The researchers also reported that children aged 12 to 17 years experienced the most injuries (72.7%), and 34.6% of all injuries were sprains or strains, 23.2% were fractures, and soft tissue injuries accounted for 21.9% of events.
“The increasing number and rate of soccer-related injuries, especially concussions/closed head injuries, demonstrated in this study underscore the need for increased injury prevention efforts,” the researchers wrote. “Education of players, coaches, referees or officials, and parents about the importance of following the rules of the game, and enforcement of those rules, are critical first steps. Protective headgear and ball heading are areas that deserve continued research and review.” – by Kate Sherrer
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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