Citation

King D, Hume PA, Milburn PD, Gianotti SM. Br. J. Sports Med. 2010; 44(14): 1016-1023.

Affiliation

Hutt Valley District Health Board, New Zealand.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, BMJ Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1136/bjsm.2009.064683

PMID

19846422

Abstract

AIM: This paper provides an overview of the epidemiology of women's rugby league injuries requiring medical treatment and associated costs in New Zealand. Method: New Zealand Accident Compensation Corporation injury data for the period 1999 to 2007 were searched for rugby league injury cases occurring in females. RESULTS: There were 320 moderate to serious (MSC) injury claims recorded for females participating in rugby league activities over the study period. There was a mean (+/-SD) of 37.9 (+/-9.5) injury claims per year. The mean cost per year for the study period was $196,514 ( pound76,066) (+/-$99,133 [ pound38,374]) with half of the injury claims occurring in New Zealand Maori. Concussion / brain injuries accounted for 3.8% of total female MSC injury claims but accounted for 5.4% of female injury costs ($84,399 [ pound32,688]) with the highest mean cost per claim ($7,033 [ pound2,724]). The lower limb accounted for 65% of the total female injury claims and 58.7% of total injury costs ($922,296 [ pound356,968]). DISCUSSION: When compared with other studies in rugby league injuries, it appears that females incur substantially fewer injuries (5.7%) than males (94.3%). The high frequency (65%) and cost proportion (58.7%) for lower limb injuries was higher in females than in male rugby league players (previously reported as 42.4% of the injury claims and 31.5% of the total injury claim costs for the lower limb). CONCLUSIONS: Injury prevention programmes for women's rugby league should focus on the 25-29 age group and address ways to prevent concussion and lower limb injuries.

Language: en