Analysis of recall bias of information on soccer injuries in adolescents

Abstract Aims: to analyze the recall bias of injury characteristics, anthropometric variables, and training variables in a morbidity survey in adolescent soccer players for a period of four months. Method: cohort study with 198 adolescent male soccer players, divided into two parts: a prospective study over four months, followed by a retrospective study. A morbidity survey containing personal and training data, in addition to information on injuries and their characteristics (anatomical site, mechanism, nature, moment, severity, return to activities and recurrence) was administered weekly for four months, after which the questionnaire was applied again questioning the same information retrospectively for the four-month prospective study period. The data were collected through interviews addressing the occurrence of injuries and respective characteristics. Results: there were weak correlations and concordances for the recall of the occurrence of injury and all related variables. However, regarding the information relating to personal and training data, moderate correlations were observed for the variables height, time of training, weekly hours, absences, and position, as well as excellent correlations for body mass. Conclusions: we observed recall bias in all information about the characteristics of the injuries reported by adolescent soccer players.

Characteristics and associated factors with sports injuries among children and adolescents

BACKGROUND: The participation of children and adolescents in sports is becoming increasingly common, and this increased involvement raises concerns about the occurrence of sports injuries. OBJECTIVES: To characterize the sports injuries and verify the associated factors with injuries in children and adolescents. METHOD: Retrospective, epidemiological study. One thousand three hundred and eleven children and adolescents up to 18 years of age enrolled in a sports initiation school in the city of Presidente Prudente, State of São Paulo, Brazil. A reported condition inquiry in interview form was used to obtain personal data and information on training and sports injuries in the last 12 months. Injury was considered any physical complaint resulting from training and/or competition that limited the participation of the individual for at least one day, regardless of the need for medical care. RESULTS: The injury rate per 1000 hours of exposure was 1.20 among the children and 1.30 among the adolescents. Age, anthropometric data, and training characteristics only differed with regard to the presence or absence of injuries among the adolescents. The most commonly reported characteristics involving injuries in both the children and adolescents were the lower limbs, training, non-contact mechanism, mild injury, asymptomatic return to activities, and absence of recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: The injury rate per 1000 hours of exposure was similar among children and adolescents. Nevertheless, some peculiarities among adolescents were observed with greater values for weight, height, duration of training, and weekly hours of practice. .