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Injuries and illnesses in female ringette athletes competing at the Canada Winter Games
Rashad Jaffar Hussain1, Caroline Hicks-Casey1, Jeffrey S Brooks1
1Department of Kinesiology, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, Brock University, Canada.
Insights
Ringette athletes experience significant injury and illness rates, with contact mechanisms and overuse injuries being common despite non-contact rules. Respiratory illnesses are also prevalent, highlighting the need for targeted prevention strategies.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Epidemiology
- Ringette Athlete Health
Background:
- Ringette is a growing sport with unique demands.
- Understanding injury and illness patterns is crucial for athlete safety.
- Previous research on ringette epidemiology is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify injury and illness incidence rates in ringette at the Canada Games.
- To identify the primary locations, mechanisms, and types of injuries and illnesses.
- To inform evidence-based prevention strategies for ringette athletes.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cohort study analyzing data from 2011, 2015, and 2019 Canada Games.
- Utilized International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Orchard Sports Injury and Illness Classification System criteria.
- Calculated incidence rates per 1000 athlete-days using Poisson regression and normal distribution methods.
Main Results:
- Total of 174 injuries and 23 illnesses recorded over 3199 athlete-days.
- Injury incidence rate: 38.45 per 1000 athlete-days; Illness incidence rate: 7.19 per 1000 athlete-days.
- Contact mechanisms (40.65%) and gradual onset (37.40%) were leading injury causes; respiratory illnesses were most frequent (60.87%).
Conclusions:
- Contact injuries and overuse injuries are prevalent in ringette, contrary to its non-contact nature.
- Respiratory illnesses represent a significant health concern for ringette athletes.
- Implementing enhanced protective equipment, modified training, and respiratory monitoring can improve athlete welfare.
Objectives:
To describe injury and illness rates, locations, mechanisms, and types among ringette athletes competing at the Canada Games.
Design:
Retrospective cohort study.
Methods:
This retrospective cohort analyzed ringette injury and illness data from the 2011, 2015, and 2019 Canada Games. Athlete registrations and medical reports from the Games were reviewed and classified using the 2020 International Olympic Committee consensus statement on methods for recording and reporting epidemiological data on injury and illness in sport and the 2020 consensus version of the Orchard Sports Injury and Illness Classification System. This study focused on injuries directly related to participation in ringette where athletes sought medical attention. Incidence rates (injuries per 1000 athlete-days) with 95% confidence intervals were estimated using Poisson regression offset by athlete-days, accounting for clustering by contingent (province/territory). Illness incidence rates and confidence intervals were estimated using confidence means based on normal distributions.
Results:
In total, there were 174 injuries, of which, 123 were sport-related over 3199 athlete-days. There were 23 illnesses among ringette athletes. The injury incidence rate was 38.45 (95% confidence interval: 29.52-50.08) per 1000 athlete-days and the illness incidence rate was 7.19 (95% confidence interval: 4.56-10.79) per 1000 athlete-days. Contact mechanisms caused 40.65% of injuries, followed by gradual onset (37.40%). Respiratory illnesses were most frequent (60.87%).
Conclusions:
Despite ringette's non-contact rules, contact injuries were common along with overuse injuries and respiratory illnesses. Targeted prevention strategies through protective equipment, training modifications, and respiratory health monitoring may reduce risk and support athlete welfare in this growing sport.
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