Examining Measures of Weight as Risk Factors for Sport-Related Injury in Adolescents

Sarah A Richmond; Alberto Nettel-Aguirre; Patricia K Doyle-Baker; Alison Macpherson; Carolyn A Emery

doi:10.1155/2016/7316947

Examining Measures of Weight as Risk Factors for Sport-Related Injury in Adolescents

J Sports Med (Hindawi Publ Corp). 2016:2016:7316947. doi: 10.1155/2016/7316947. Epub 2016 Jul 20.

Authors

Sarah A Richmond¹, Alberto Nettel-Aguirre², Patricia K Doyle-Baker³, Alison Macpherson⁴, Carolyn A Emery⁵

Affiliations

¹ Child Health Evaluative Sciences, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, Canada M5G 1X8; Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive, Calgary, AB, Canada T2N 1N4; School of Kinesiology and Health Science, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON, Canada M3J 1P3.
² Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive, Calgary, AB, Canada T2N 1N4; Alberta Children's Hospital, Institute for Child and Maternal Health, 2888 Shaganappi Trail NW, Calgary, AB, Canada T3B 6A8; Departments of Pediatrics and Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive, Calgary, AB, Canada T2N 1N4.
³ Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive, Calgary, AB, Canada T2N 1N4.
⁴ School of Kinesiology and Health Science, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON, Canada M3J 1P3.
⁵ Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive, Calgary, AB, Canada T2N 1N4; Alberta Children's Hospital, Institute for Child and Maternal Health, 2888 Shaganappi Trail NW, Calgary, AB, Canada T3B 6A8.

Abstract

Objectives. To examine body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) as risk factors for sport injury in adolescents. Design. A secondary analysis of prospectively collected data from a pilot cluster randomized controlled trial. Methods. Adolescents (n = 1,040) at the ages of 11-15 years from two Calgary junior high schools were included. BMI (kg/m(2)) and WC (cm) were measured from direct measures at baseline assessment. Categories (overweight/obese) were created using validated international (BMI) and national (WC) cut-off points. A Poisson regression analysis controlling for relevant covariates (sex, previous injury, sport participation, intervention group, and aerobic fitness level) estimated the risk of sport injury [incidence rate ratios (IRR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI)]. Results. There was an increased risk of time loss injury (IRR = 2.82, 95% CI: 1.01-8.04) and knee injury (IRR = 2.07, 95% CI: 1.00-6.94) in adolescents that were overweight/obese; however, increases in injury risk for all injury and lower extremity injury were not statistically significant. Estimates suggested a greater risk of time loss injury [IRR = 1.63 (95% CI: 0.93-2.47)] in adolescents with high measures of WC. Conclusions. There is an increased risk of time loss injury and knee injury in overweight/obese adolescents. Sport injury prevention training programs should include strategies that target all known risk factors for injury.