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Overuse and traumatic extremity injuries in schoolchildren surveyed with weekly text messages over 2.5 years
Author(s) -
Jespersen E.,
Holst R.,
Franz C.,
Rexen C. T.,
Klakk H.,
Wedderkopp N.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of medicine and science in sports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.575
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1600-0838
pISSN - 0905-7188
DOI - 10.1111/sms.12095
Subject(s) - medicine , incidence (geometry) , physical therapy , injury prevention , prospective cohort study , cohort , occupational safety and health , cohort study , poison control , odds ratio , pediatrics , emergency medicine , surgery , physics , pathology , optics
The objectives of this prospective cohort study were to report the incidence, prevalence, and duration of traumatic and overuse injuries during a period of 2.5 years and to estimate the odds of injury types. In all, 1259 schoolchildren, aged 6–12, were surveyed each week with an automated mobile phone text message asking questions on the presence of any musculo‐skeletal problems and participation in leisure‐time sport. Children were examined and injuries classified as overuse or traumatic. The overall injury incidence and prevalence were 1.2% and 4.6% per week, with 2.5 times more overuse than traumatic injuries in lower extremities, and mean injury duration of 5.3 and 4.8 weeks, respectively. A reverse pattern was found for upper extremities, with 3.1 times more traumatic than overuse injuries and mean durations of 3.3 and 5.2 weeks, respectively. Grade level, school type, leisure‐time sport, and seasonal variation were associated with the risk of sustaining lower extremity injuries. Only grade level was associated with upper extremity injuries. The magnitude of overuse and traumatic limb injuries emphasizes the need for health professionals, coaches, and parents to pay special attention in relation to the growing and physically active child.