Physical Profile and Epidemiological Analysis of Injuries in a College Athletics Team: A Retrospective Analysis

Abstract

IntroductionAthletics is a sport with varied modalities, which are based on patterns and activities that are natural to human beings. As a sport, it has several benefits, such as improved physical condition and interpersonal interactions, but it is not free from risks, especially injuries related to competitions or training.ObjectivesCharacterize injuries presented by the university athletics group of the medical course and identify possible risk factors.MethodsParticipants, enrolled in the athletics group of the medicine course, of both sexes, had anthropometric measurements evaluated and answered an injury screening questionnaire modified from the “Injury Surveillance System”.Results31 participants responded to the questionnaire where 65% of them had at least one injury. A total of 23 injuries were reported, 20 of which were serious, with no significant difference between both sexes. The total practice time was almost 2 times longer in injured practitioners than in non-injured ones.ConclusionThe practice of university athletics is associated with a high occurrence of serious injuries.SUMMARY BOXCollege athletics appears to have a high incidence of injury.There is an unusually high number of serious injuries in college athletic athletes participating in the study.Most college athletic sports injuries do not appear to be diagnosed or properly treated.Most injuries are concentrated in the lower body.