@article{ref1,
title="Injury patterns among national-level athletes in Lebanon: a retrospective study",
journal="Research in sports medicine",
year="2021",
author="El Osta, Lana and El Helou, Abdo and Hatem, Habib Aimé and El Osta, Nada",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="OBJECTIVES:This study aims to assess the annual prevalence, associated factors, and characteristics of musculoskeletal disorders among Lebanese national-level athletes.<br><br>METHODS: Lebanese athletes aged 18 and over and who competed in a top-level national championship during an entire athletics season were invited to participate in the study. Data were collected through questionnaire assessing self-reported injury during the past year. Injury, dependent variable of the study, was defined as a musculoskeletal condition that made the athlete partially or completely abstains from training or competition for a 1-week minimum injury period.<br><br>RESULTS: Among the 250 eligible athletes, 210 (84.0%) (25.5±6.7 years) completed the questionnaire. The 1-year retrospective injury prevalence was 51.9% (95% confidence interval, 45.1%-58.7%). Injured athletes reported 150 injuries: 128 (85.3%) affected the lower extremities, and 111 (74.0%) occurred during training. The most common type was muscle cramps/spasm (n=53; 35.3%); and overuse (n=121; 80.7%) was the predominant cause. Athletes who mainly practiced endurance disciplines (-p-value=0.042), who participated in international athletics championships (-p-value=0.047), and who were taking chronic medications (-p-value=0.049) had more injuries in the past year.<br><br>CONCLUSION: These findings may help inform potential injury prevention programs, which should target injuries affecting the lower extremities, and consider the factors associated with injury risk among Lebanese athletes.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1543-8627",
doi="10.1080/15438627.2021.1929222",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15438627.2021.1929222"
}