High school football injuries: a prospective study and pitfalls of data collection

A 4 year prospective study (1982 to 1985) of high school varsity football injuries from the four Peoria high school football teams was undertaken. Two hundred fifty-one injuries were recorded among a player population of 598, resulting in an injury rate of 42.1% per 100 players. All of the players followed a prescribed preseason summer conditioning program that was endorsed by the Illinois High School Athletic Association. The injuries were recorded on an athletic injury profile and entered into a computer for data analysis and retrieval. The injury distribution by player position showed that halfbacks, tackles, linebackers, and guards had a higher risk of injury than other positions. The knee was the body part injured most frequently (20.3%). A matrix of injuries to halfbacks was set up to examine the relationship of body part injured to type of play, time of injury, and activity during injury. An anthropometric study using the Quetelet index did not reveal any correlation between injury and body size when the injured players were compared with the non-injured players. Experience since 1969 has taught us many of the errors and pitfalls involved in injury surveillance. Strict adherence to recording of data will ensure an accurate and useful injury surveillance program.