Prevalence, Common Types, and Risk Factors of Musculoskeletal Disorders Among Female University Student Athletes: A...

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) pose a significant health challenge for athletes, especially female university students.
• Saudi Arabia's growing female sports participation necessitates research into MSD prevalence in this demographic.

Purpose of the Study:

• Determine MSD prevalence in female university student athletes in Saudi Arabia.
• Identify commonly affected body regions and associated risk factors.
• Investigate links between MSDs and sport type, warm-ups, training frequency, and injury history.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study involving 407 female university students (aged 16-25).
• Utilized the Arabic version of the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) and a risk factor survey.
• Employed descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and logistic regression for analysis.

Main Results:

• 65.8% of participants reported at least one MSD in the past 12 months.
• Most affected regions: shoulders (43.2%), neck (41.8%), and lower back (32.2%).
• Previous injury history (OR=2.44) and higher weekly training frequency (OR=1.23) were significant predictors of MSDs.

Conclusions:

• MSDs are highly prevalent among female university student athletes in Saudi Arabia.
• Previous injuries and high training frequency are key risk factors for MSDs.
• Targeted prevention strategies, including rehabilitation and training load management, are crucial for musculoskeletal health.