Sports Injuries among Adults in Six European Union Countries

Background: Participation in sports is a health promotion activity that entails an important injury risk. This study presents data on sport injuries among adults, derived from an established European Union injury monitoring process. Materials and Methods: Data originated from interviews conducted at hospital Emergency Departments in six European Union countries, namely Austria, Denmark, France, Greece, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, using a common, precoded questionnaire, which elicits information regarding sociodemographic variables, event coordinates and injury characteristics. We examined all cases of sport injuries that have been recorded among adults (15+ years old) during a 1-year period (1998). Sports injuries were examined in schools, in organized settings (when the activity was taking place under the auspices of sports federation, clubs or similar organizations) and in spontaneous (nonorganized) activities as well as in specific types of sports by demographics and injury descriptive variable. Results: Emergency department data show that sport injuries are common injuries of considerable severity, since about one third of them are fractures and approximately 4% of cases require hospitalization. Among males, football and basketball are responsible for the majority of sports injuries whereas gymnastics and volleyball are responsible for most injuries among females. Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of injury surveillance in assessing the magnitude and characteristics of sport injuries.