@article{ref1,
title="Injury prevention knowledge, beliefs and strategies in elite female footballers at the FIFA Women's World Cup France 2019",
journal="British journal of sports medicine",
year="2021",
author="Geertsema, Liesel and Geertsema, Celeste and Oester, Chelsea and Harøy, Joar and Bahr, Roald and Weber, Alexis and Farooq, Abdulaziz",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="OBJECTIVES: This study assessed knowledge, beliefs and practices of elite female footballers regarding injury prevention. <br><br>METHODS: A survey was sent to players  participating in the FIFA Women's World Cup France 2019. Questions covered three  injury prevention domains: (1) knowledge; (2) attitudes and beliefs; (3) prevention  practices in domestic clubs. Additionally, ACL injury history was assessed. <br><br>RESULTS:  Out of 552 players, 196 women responded (35.5%). More than 80% of these considered  injury risk to be moderate or high. Players listed knee, ankle, thigh, head and  groin as the most important injuries in women's football. The most important risk  factors identified were low muscle strength, followed by poor pitch quality, playing  on artificial turf, too much training, reduced recovery and hard tackles. In these  elite players, 15% did not have any permanent medical staff in their domestic clubs,  yet more than 75% had received injury prevention advice and more than 80% performed  injury prevention exercises in their clubs. Players identified the two most  important implementation barriers as player motivation and coach attitude. Two-thirds of players used the FIFA 11+ programme in their clubs. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: This  diverse group of elite players demonstrated good knowledge of risk level and injury  types in women's football. Of the risk factors emphasised by players, there was only  one intrinsic risk factor (strength), but several factors out of their control  (pitch quality and type, training volume and hard tackles). Still players had  positive attitudes and beliefs regarding injury prevention exercises and indicated a  high level of implementation, despite a lack of medical support.  Keywords: soccer<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0306-3674",
doi="10.1136/bjsports-2020-103131",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2020-103131"
}