Factors Associating with the Severity of Soccer Injury Among Men and Women Professional Teams

Abstract

Purpose

To identify predictors of soccer injuries’ severity among professional soccer teams.

Methods

At the end of soccer season 2019, 152 professional soccer players (premier league and division-I teams) participated in this study. Players and teams’ medical staff provided demographics information, previous soccer injuries, current soccer injury profile, playing surface when they were injured. Further, they indicated the medical treatment and time-loss from soccer participation since injury (mild: 4–7, moderate: 8–28, severe:>28 days). Player’s sex, previous soccer injuries, playing factors (team division and playing surfaces), and mechanism of injury were entered into multinomial regression model, with severe injury was reference group.

Results

Sixty-eight out of 152 players (44.73%) sustained soccer injuries [mild: 30.8% (n=21), moderate: 33.8% (n=23), severe: 35.4% (n=24)]. Player’s sex (Men-vs.-Women: OR: 0.2, R²:9.9%), mechanism of injury (Contact-vs.-Non-contact: OR: 3.12, R²: 6.9%), playing surfaces (Synthetic-vs.-Natural grass: OR: 1.91, R²: 13.8%), and having previous injury (Yes-vs.-No: OR: 0.13, R²: 11.9%) were significant predictors of severity of soccer injuries (moderate vs. sever injuries).

Conclusion

Players’ sex, mechanism of injury, playing surfaces, and having previous soccer injury predicted the soccer injuries’ severity. Men players and those with previous soccer injury were less likely to have moderate verses sever injuries compared to women and players without previous injury. Players with contact injuries and who were injured on synthetic surface were more likely to have moderate versus severe injuries compared to players with non-contact injury and who were injured on natural grass. These factors may be taking in consideration to implement personalized rehabilitation program, reduce soccer injuries’ severity, and to develop tailored injury preventive strategies.

Keywords

Football / Playing surface / Sport injury / Time loss

References

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Funding

Deanship of Research, Jordan University of Science and Technology(2018/363)