Epidemiology of Injuries in Older Athletes Participating at Masters Games: A Scoping Review

Masters Games are multisport events that provide older athletes with an opportunity to participate in organized physical activity, with well-documented physical and psychosocial health benefits. However, little is known about injury epidemiology in Masters Games competitors. The aim of this study was to determine the current knowledge about the incidence and type of injuries sustained by older athletes during Masters Games events.

A scoping review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews Checklist. Seven electronic databases were searched, and 1,797 records were retrieved and screened for eligibility using the Population (older athletes), Concept (sustained an injury), and Context (during Masters Games events) framework.

Six studies that fulfilled the inclusion criteria were identified for analysis. All included studies used different injury surveillance systems. Five studies reported a total of 2,384 injuries occurring in 34,129 participants, representing an overall injury incidence of 6.9% of participants. Three studies reported injury incidence ranging from 2.5% to 48.2% of participants. Four studies reported injury location and types; however, all used different injury categorization systems.

This review identified there is a paucity of injury epidemiological studies of Masters Games participants. Methodological heterogeneity and variable injury reporting methods currently precludes meaningful comparisons about injury incidence or types in older athletes participating in Masters Games events. Significance/Implications: Future well conducted injury surveillance studies at Masters Games could guide the management of medical services for these events and inform the development of age and sports-specific injury prevention programs.