OBJECTIVE
To determine the risk of injury in youth football games.
Subjects and Methods
Nine hundred fifteen players aged 9 to 13 years on 42 teams participated, including
10 teams in each grade from grades 4 through 6 and 6 teams each in grades 7 and 8.
The study was conducted in the fall of 1997. Injury incidence, prevalence, and severity
were calculated for each grade level and player position. Additional analyses examined
the number of injuries according to body weight.
Results
A total of 55 injuries occurred in games during the entire season (overall prevalence,
5.97%). Most injuries were mild, and the most common type was contusion, which occurred
in 33 players (60%). Four injuries (7%) were severe enough to prevent players from
participating for the rest of the season. All 4 severe injuries were fractures involving
the ankle physis. The risk of injury increased as players matured in age and grade
level. Injury risk for an eighthgrade player was 4 times greater than the risk of
injury to a fourth-grade player. A trend was identified for heavier players to be
at increased risk, but no significant correlation was evident between body weight
and injury.
Conclusion
Our prospective observational analysis showed that most youth football injuries are
mild. Older and heavier players appear to be at higher risk.
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© 2002 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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- CorrectionMayo Clinic ProceedingsVol. 78Issue 1
- PreviewIncorrect tables: The article by Stuart et al entitled “Injuries in Youth Football: A Prospective Observational Cohort Analysis Among Players Aged 9 to 13 Years,” published in the April 2002 issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings (Mayo Clin Proc. 2002;77:317- 322), included incorrect versions of 2 tables. The corrected tables are reprinted below (corrections in boldface type). Corresponding to this corrected information, the following boldface changes should be made in the text:
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