Injuries in Physical Education Teacher Students: Differences between Sex, Curriculum Year, Setting, and Sports

Abstract

Background. Injury risk is high in Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) students. Insights into specific injury locations per sex, setting, sports, and curriculum year are needed to develop preventive measures. Purpose. To compare injury distributions by body locations in PETE students and how these distributions differ by sex, type, onset, curriculum year, settings, or sports. Methods. In a historical cohort study over 14 years, data from 2899 students (male 76.2%, n = 1947) enlisted in the first three years of a PETE curriculum were analysed. Injuries reported at the institution’s medical facility were categorised per sex, body location, onset, type, setting, sports, and curriculum year. Results. Forty-three percent (n = 1247) of all students (female 54.9%, n = 523, male 37.2%, and n = 429) reported a total of 2129 injuries (freshmen 56.4%; 2nd year 28.2%; 3rd year 15.5%). The most prevalent sudden onset injury locations (63.4% of all injuries) were the ankle (32.5%) and knee (16.6). The most prevalent gradual onset injuries were the lower leg (27.8%) and knee (25.2%). Joint/ligament injuries (45.8%) and muscle/tendon injuries (23.4%) were the most prevalent injury types. Proportions for injury locations and injury types differed significantly between curriculum years. Injury prevalence per setting and sport differed significantly between the sexes. Injury locations differed significantly between sports and between the sexes per sport. Conclusion. A differential approach per injury location, onset, type, sex, setting, sports, and curriculum year is needed to develop adequate preventive measures in PETE studies. The engagement of precurricular, intracurricular, and extracurricular stakeholders is needed in the development of these measures.

Effects of Fatigue on Knee and Ankle Joint Angle Restoration After a Mountaineering Program

“…Four of the injuries occurred in boys and two in girls with an average age of 13.7 years [5]. According to Barendrecht et al (2023), the injury rate was 40.7% in lower limbs, 32.5% in upper limbs, 15.6% in the head and 9.4% in the trunk [6]. The results of the studies by Jones & Johnson (2016) and Schöffl et al (2012) showed that most injuries occurred in the upper limbs of adults in all climbing cases [7,8].…”