Information about project titled 'The prevalence and burden of health problems in male senior ice hockey - a prospective study in the Norwegian professional league'
The prevalence and burden of health problems in male senior ice hockey - a prospective study in the Norwegian professional league
| Details about the project - category | Details about the project - value |
|---|---|
| Project status: | Published |
| Project manager: | Anine Nordstrøm |
| Supervisor(s): | Roald Bahr, Ben Clarsen, Ove Talsnes |
Description
Background: As previous epidemiological studies in elite ice hockey have focused on acute time-loss injuries, little is known about the burden of overuse injuries and illnesses in ice hockey.
Purpose: The aim of this study was to report the prevalence and burden of all health problems in male professional ice hockey in Norway during one competitive season.
Methods: This was a prospective cohort study monitoring all health problems among 225 male ice hockey players in the GET League (the premier professional league) in Norway during the 2017/2018 season. Players reported all injuries and illnesses for 31 weeks using Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center Questionnaire on Health Problems (OSTRC-H1).
Results: At any given time, 40% (95% CI 37% to 43%) reported symptoms from injury or illness, and 20% (95% CI 19% to 22%) experienced health problems with a substantial negative impact on training and performance. Acute injuries represented the greatest incidence, prevalence and burden (defined as the cross-product of severity and incidence). The most burdensome acute injuries were to the head/face, shoulder, knee and ankle. The most burdensome overuse injury locations were knee, lumbar spine and hip/groin.
Implications: This is the first study to present prospective self-reported injury and illness data on male professional ice hockey players. These data can provide guidance in the development of prevention programmes for both acute injuries and especially overuse injuries, which should focus on the lumbar spine, hip/groin and knee.