Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center

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Information about project titled 'Prevalence of health problems in elite-youth football'

Prevalence of health problems in elite-youth football

Details about the project - category Details about the project - value
Project status: Ongoing
Project manager: Torstein Dalen-Lorentsen
Supervisor(s): Thor Einar Andersen, Ben Clarsen, John Bjørneboe
Coworker(s): Markus Vagle, Kevin Nordanger Martin, Michael Kleppen, Joar Harøy

Description

Background: Previous studies have revealed similar injury and illness problems in elite youth football when compared to professional football. However, these studies have used an injury and illness definition that is unable to capture the full scope of health problems.


Aim:
To investigate the prevalence of all health problems in Norwegian elite-youth footballers of both genders.


Methods:
Eighty-six players from six different teams (15- to 19-years) were included in this prospective cohort-study. The teams were top-tier teams, and consisted of three teams from each gender. The players responded to the "Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center Overuse Questionnaire on Health Problems" once per week for 15-weeks. The questionnaire was distributed through a short messaging system (SMS) each Sunday night.


Implications:
The results will provide knowledge regarding the extent and characteristics of health problems in Norwegian elite-youth football. These results will give us knowledge whether injury and illness prevention strategies are necessary, and potentially guide us to which direction they should take.