Information about project titled 'Prevention of injuries in female Norwegian elite soccer'
Prevention of injuries in female Norwegian elite soccer
| Details about the project - category | Details about the project - value |
|---|---|
| Project status: | Published |
| Project manager: | Agnar Tegnander |
| Supervisor(s): | Roald Bahr |
| Coworker(s): | Odd-Egil Olsen, Ingar Holme |
Description
Several studies have found a high incidence of injuries to the knee, ankle and thigh among female soccer players. Previously studies show the injury mechanisms and possible risk factors for different type of injury, but there are few published data showing the incidence and no data of prevention among elite female soccer players.
The purpose of this study is to examine the incidence of injuries in a population of high-level female soccer players, and to investigate the effect of an intervention program designed to reduce the incidence of injuries to the lower extremities.
A total of 10 teams (200 players), all of the teams playing in the elite division of the Norwegian Football Federation league system, will be ask to take part in the study. Before the soccer season 2001 a questionnaire will be given to each player to get information about personal data, history of soccer, previously injuries, illness and menstrual status. Five teams with about 100 players will be randomized to the intervention group and the other five teams to the control group. The intervention will be a warm-up program (15-20 min) with exercise to get better running- and landing-technique, balance, flexibility and strength. The program will be done three times weekly during the first part of the season (10 weeks) and then 2-3 times weekly during the rest of the season. In addition, all the players in the intervention group with a previously injury for the last six months, will get a rehabilitation program for a period of 10 weeks. The physiotherapists in each team will register all the injuries, based on a standardized questionnaire, in both the intervention and the control group during the season.
Among the information request in each case we will find personal data, playing situation and mechanism of injury. In addition, information on associate ligament injuries, meniscal injuries or osteochondral injuries will be obtained from the operating surgeon. We will also do a compliance registering to evaluate the teams intervention follow-up. Information about training and competition hours, playing surface, list of players etc. will be obtained from the team coaches. Power estimate show that the study has to go over two seasons to find a statistical reduction in injuries to the lower extremities.
The study is important to find more about the incidence in a population of high-level female soccer players and to evaluate the effect of a prevention program.