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Short-Term Absenteeism and Health Care Utilization Due to Lower Extremity Injuries Among Novice Runners: A
Dirk-Wouter Smits1, Bionka Huisstede, Evert Verhagen
1*Department of Rehabilitation, Nursing Science & Sports, Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands; †Department of Public and Occupational Health, EMGO+ Institute for Health and Care Research VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; ‡Australian Centre for Research into Injury in Sport and its Prevention (ACRISP), Federation University Australia, SMB Campus, Ballarat, Victoria, Australia; §Center for Sports Medicine, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands; ¶Department of General Practice, Erasmus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; and ‖Departments of Epidemiology and Surgery, Research School CAPHRI, Maastricht University Medical Center+, and Sports Medicine Center Maastricht, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
Objective:
To describe absenteeism and health care utilization (HCU) within 6 weeks after occurrence of running-related injuries (RRIs) among novice runners and to explore differences relating to injury and personal characteristics.
Design:
Prospective cohort study.
Setting:
Primary care.
Participants:
One thousand six hundred ninety-six novice runners (18-65 years) participating in a 6-week running program ("Start-to-Run").
Main Outcome Measures:
Injury characteristics were assessed by weekly training logs and personal characteristics by a baseline questionnaire. Data on absenteeism and HCU were collected using questionnaires at 2 and 6 weeks after the RRI occurred.
Results:
A total of 185 novice runners (11%) reported an RRI during the 6-week program. Of these injured novice runners, 78% reported absence from sports, whereas only 4% reported absence from work. Fifty-one percent of the injured novice runners visited a health care professional, mostly physical therapists (PTs) rather than physicians. Absenteeism was more common among women than men and was also more common with acute RRIs than gradual-onset RRIs. As regards HCU, both the variety of professionals visited and the number of PT visits were higher among runners with muscle-tendon injuries in the ankle/foot region than among those with other RRIs.
Conclusions:
Among novice runners sustaining an RRI during a 6-week running program, over three quarters reported short-term absence from sports, whereas absence from work was very limited, and over half used professional health care. Both absence and HCU are associated with injury characteristics.
Clinical Relevance:
In future running promotion programs (eg in Start-to-Run programs), specific attention should be paid to acute injuries and to muscle-tendon injuries in the ankle/foot region.
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