Prevalence and Burden of Self-Reported Health Problems in Junior Male Elite Ice Hockey Players: A 44-Week Prospective Cohort Study

Abstract

Background: Little is known about the burden of overuse injuries and illnesses in junior elite ice hockey. Purpose: To describe the prevalence and burden of all health problems in junior male elite ice hockey players in Norway during 1 school year. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiological study. Methods: A total of 206 junior male ice hockey players (mean age, 17 years; range, 15-20 years) attending specialized sports academy high schools in Norway reported all health problems, acute injuries, overuse injuries, and illnesses, weekly during the 2018-2019 school year (44 weeks). The players self-reported injuries and illnesses using the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center Questionnaire on Health Problems. Results: Of the players included, 25% (95% CI, 23%-27%) reported at least 1 health problem at any given time, while 16% (95% CI, 14%-17%) experienced health problems with a substantial negative effect on training and performance. Of the total burden of health problems, acute injuries accounted for 44%, overuse injuries 31%, and illnesses 25%. For acute injuries, the greatest burden was caused by injuries to the ankle, knee, and hand, whereas for overuse injuries the most burdensome location was the hip/groin and knee. Conclusion: This study documented that while acute injuries did represent the greatest problem among junior elite ice hockey players, overuse injuries, especially to the knee and hip/groin, also had a substantial effect.

Association of Training and Game Loads to Injury Risk in Junior Male Elite Ice Hockey Players: A Prospective Cohort Study

“…The data collection methods used are the same as those recently applied in 2 studies in Norwegian ice hockey. 52 , 53 The prevalence and burden of all health problems are reported in a separate paper. 52 …”

“…The injury and illness registration and collection procedures have been reported previously. 52 , 53 Surveillance was conducted using an online platform designed to collect injury and illness data from athletes using the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center Overuse Questionnaire on Health Problems (OSTRC-H2). 16 – 18 The OSTRC-H2 was distributed to players automatically once a week (every Monday) from August 6, 2018, until June 10, 2019, (44 weeks) by SMS and/or email with a direct link to an online injury surveillance platform (AthleteMonitoring.com; FITSTATS Technologies).…”

“…The data collection methods used are the same as those recently applied in 2 studies in Norwegian ice hockey. 52,53 The prevalence and burden of all health problems are reported in a separate paper. 52 The protocol for this study received ethics committee approval, and all players provided written informed consent to participate in the study.…”

“…52,53 The prevalence and burden of all health problems are reported in a separate paper. 52 The protocol for this study received ethics committee approval, and all players provided written informed consent to participate in the study. For those younger than 18 years, written consent was signed by their parents.…”

“…The risk of injury increases with age. 57 , 60 Nordstrøm et al 52 found an average weekly injury prevalence of 20% among junior elite players, split equally between acute and overuse injuries. Injuries have a significant impact on player and team performance.…”