Injury and Illness Surveillance in Elite Para Athletes

Abstract

Background Longitudinal monitoring data of Para athletes are sparse. Objective The aim of the study was to describe the weekly prevalence and incidence of injuries and illnesses among German athletes preparing for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Paralympic Games. Methods Athletes were invited to weekly report on medical problems, their severity/burden and training load, using the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center Questionnaire on Health Problems. In case of any health problem, athletes were contacted and medical support offered. Data were analyzed with regard to impairment type. The acceptance of the monitoring program was evaluated. Results Fifty-eight athletes were followed for 29 wks, 10.927 athlete-days. At any given time, 28% (95% confidence interval = 26% to 30%) of athletes reported health problems, and 12% (11% to 14%) substantial health problems. The prevalence of health and illness problems diminished over time by 20.9 ± 4.1% and 16.1 ± 2.9%, P < 0.001, respectively, based on the means of the first and final 5 wks. Paraplegic athletes reported a significantly higher prevalence of all health problems (33%, 29% to 37%) than nonparaplegic athletes (26%, 23% to 29%; P = 0.007). Illnesses were in general more severe and resulted in more time loss days. Athletes reported a high satisfaction with the program. Conclusions At any given time, 28% of German Para athletes reported health problems, and 12% experienced substantial health problems. For a health team, illnesses seem to be more important to handle than injuries. The Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center Questionnaire on Health Problems is a suitable method for injury and illness surveillance in Para athletes.

Methods, challenges and benefits of a health monitoring programme for Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic athletes: the road from London 2012 to Tokyo 2020

“…However, data are limited on the health problems facing Olympic and Paralympic athletes outside the actual 10-17 day games period. [20][21][22] This may be because collecting high-quality prospective injury and illness data relies on close and consistent contact between athletes and their medical staff, yet Olympic and Paralympic athletes are often supported by multiple medical providers (such as in their club or professional team); they often live, train and compete all over the world, and they frequently travel without medical support.…”

“…This information, akin to more traditional forms of surveillance data, can assist the health team in allocating limited resources, identifying specific health challenges within various teams or subgroups, and in planning and assessing the impact of targeted prevention interventions. 20 23 We have previously developed a questionnaire for prospective monitoring of health problems in athletes, the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center Questionnaire on Health Problems (OSTRC-H & OSTRC-H2), 22 24 and in 2014 we briefly described how it was used to monitor Norwegian athletes preparing for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in London. 22 In this paper, we describe how these health monitoring methods have evolved over five consecutive summer and winter games cycles, and present summary data to illustrate our main outcomes and visualisation techniques.…”

Validation of the Patient Health Questionnaire‐4 for longitudinal mental health evaluation in elite Para athletes

“…The recruitment process for the national health surveillance program and inclusion and exclusion criteria have been described in detail elsewhere. 11,[13][14][15][16] In this prospectively designed observational study over 43 weeks (starting in May 2019), a cohort of 78 athletes completed a weekly mental health assessment, including the PHQ-4, subjective stress levels, and mood, in addition to their routine injury and illness surveillance. 11 The survey was conducted via AthleteMonitoring, an online system for athlete health monitoring available via web browser or mobile app.…”

“…7 Also, Hofmann et al suggest a psychiatric basic assessment within the preparticipation examination to detect symptoms of mental health disorders. 8 Although various longitudinal injury and illness surveillance programs have been implemented in elite Para athletes, [9][10][11][12] mental health evaluation has seldom been included. The aim of this study was to validate the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4) as a suitable, time-efficient, and easy-to-use tool to monitor mental health symptoms in this population.…”

Prevalence of self-reported complications associated with intermittent catheterization in wheelchair athletes with spinal cord injury

“…The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) is committed to ensure athlete health and encourages all initiatives and measures to minimize the risk of injury and illness in Paralympic athletes. Though, wheelchair athletes have unique pre-existing medical conditions that predispose them to increased risk of illness [18]. However, little is known with respect to morbidity as it relates to an athlete's LUT management.…”