Sports-Related Injury Patterns Among Athletes with Intellectual Disabilities: A Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Disability Studies
• Public Health

Background:

• Intellectual disabilities present unique considerations for athletic participation.
• Understanding sports injury patterns is crucial for athlete safety and performance.
• Existing literature on this topic is sparse and often lacks detailed injury specifics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a scoping review of sports-related injury patterns in athletes with intellectual disabilities.
• To identify trends and gaps in the existing research literature.
• To inform future research directions and athlete safety protocols.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search was performed by librarians.
• Studies were screened for relevance to sports injuries in athletes with intellectual disabilities.
• A total of 12 articles were selected from an initial pool of 646.
• Data quality and trends over time were assessed.

Main Results:

• The majority of reviewed studies reported injuries from individual Special Olympics events.
• Detailed injury specifics were often lacking in the selected literature.
• A notable increase in the number and quality of relevant studies began in 2022.
• Overall, limited literature exists on this specific topic.

Conclusions:

• There is a significant gap in research regarding sports injury patterns in athletes with intellectual disabilities.
• While recent studies show improvement in data quality, comprehensive research is still needed.
• Further investigation is recommended to enhance the safety and well-being of these athletes.