Injury prevention knowledge, beliefs, and practices among women’s football teams in South Africa

Abstract


 
 
 
 Background: Numerous factors account for injury prevention or lack thereof in any team setting. With the increasing burden of injuries in women’s football, and limited human resources accessible in sub-Saharan Africa, it is important to investigate the ways in which standardised injury prevention practices can be achieved.
 Objectives: The study aimed to evaluate injury prevention knowledge, beliefs, and practices in women’s football teams in the University Sport South Africa (USSA) Football League in Gauteng Province, South Africa.
 Methods: A cross-sectional self-administered survey was conducted among women’s football teams registered to participate in the USSA Football League in South Africa’s Gauteng Province.
 Results: A total of 107 respondents participated in the study, which included both players (n=98; 92%) and their support staff (n=9; 9%). The median (interquartile range) age of the participants was 22 (20-25) years. In the population sampled, 36% of the participants perceived that they had adequate knowledge of injury prevention practices in football, while others felt they had limited knowledge of the basic injury prevention programmes (IPPs). The results also indicated that the injury prevention practices of coaches (93%) and their beliefs in this regard (70%) are sufficient for achieving the basic injury prevention goals. Most of the respondents (89%) indicated that a medical support system is important in attaining the goals of injury prevention.
 Conclusion: Members of women’s teams in the USSA Football League have recognised limited knowledge about the basic IPPs, while they do employ some of the basic injury prevention practices in football. These practices could be influenced by the beliefs of the coaches and the players, and most of them believe that IPPs are important. It is essential as key stakeholders that coaches' and players' education and knowledge of injury prevention strategies should be considered as an integral part of the process to succeed. It should be strongly highlighted and implemented, thus augmenting the credibility, trust and compliance for IPPs in the sport.
 
 
 

A qualitative examination of injury prevention strategy and education in Ladies Gaelic football: Understanding the preferences of players and coaches

“…Thirteen coaches (8 male, 5 female) were interviewed with an average age of 46.1±5.6 (38)(39)(40)(41)(42)(43)(44)(45)(46)(47)(48)(49)(50)(51)(52)(53)(54)(55)(56) years and 14.5±6.5 (5-28) years of experience coaching in LGF. Coaches reported the highest level of LGF that they are currently coaching, with nine at club level and four at inter-county level.…”

“…Participants felt that coaches have a major role when it comes to implementing and promoting IP. Other research has emphasised that stakeholders feel coaches must be the leaders of IP in their sport [ 51 , 55 ], and that it is necessary for coaches to be directly supervising, motivating, and assisting players throughout the execution of IPPs [ 40 , 46 , 51 ]. However, similar to previous research [ 4 , 44 , 48 ], it was acknowledged that players must also take responsibility for their own IP.…”

“…Education for coaches and players was frequently requested by participants. While much of the previous research tends to focus on coach education [ 4 , 20 , 40 , 49 , 59 , 60 ], many studies have developed or called for intervention strategies that inform both coaches and players [ 14 , 22 , 23 , 44 – 46 , 55 , 63 ]. Stakeholders also mentioned the value of education for all and felt that some level of education should be available and known by LGFA officers, club volunteers and the parents of youth players.…”

FIFA football nurse – A task sharing approach in sports and exercise medicine practice in grassroots women’s football in low- and middle- income settings. A study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial

“…Injury prevention and management behaviours . A self-administered questionnaire will be used to evaluate injury prevention and management behaviours at an individual participant level as reported in other work [ 18 , 40 ]. These will explore players’ and coaches’ knowledge, beliefs, and practices of injury prevention in football.…”

FIFA Football Nurse – A task sharing approach in Sports and Exercise Medicine practice in grassroots women’s football in low- and middle- income settings. A study protocol for a parallel randomised controlled trial

“…A self-administered questionnaire will be used to evaluate injury prevention and management behaviours as reported in other work (Bakare et al, 2021; Geertsema et al, 2021) . These will explore players’ and coaches’ knowledge, beliefs, and practices of injury prevention in football.…”