Preparing for Potential Health and Safety Risks at the Olympic Games: Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Mass gathering medicine
• Public health surveillance
• Sports medicine

Background:

• Olympic Games present unique mass gathering challenges, including high rates of illness, injury, and terrorism risks.
• Previous Olympic Games have documented significant health and safety incidents.
• Crowd composition at the Olympics is complex, necessitating specialized medical and security planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically summarize and analyze the incidence of illness, injury, and terrorism at Olympic Games.
• To provide evidence-based recommendations for reducing health risks at mass sporting events.
• To identify lessons learned for the organization and safety protocols of future Olympic Games.

Main Methods:

• A 5-step scoping review methodology was employed, following Arksey and O'Malley.
• Extensive literature searches were conducted across major databases: PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus.
• Data extraction focused on game characteristics, illness/injury profiles, terrorism incidents, preventive measures, and surveillance systems.

Main Results:

• 120 studies were included, with a substantial increase in research from 2000 onwards.
• Illness (80 studies) and injury (81 studies) were the most frequently researched topics, followed by terrorism (2 studies).
• Recent studies focused on specific conditions like COVID-19 and heat-related illnesses, with Tokyo 2021, London 2012, and Rio 2016 being highly studied.

Conclusions:

• A comprehensive understanding of past Olympic Games' health and safety events is vital for future prevention strategies.
• Enhancements in surveillance technology, data sharing, and privacy protection are essential for effective public health management.
• Continued research and improved surveillance are necessary to mitigate risks associated with mass gatherings.