Related Experiment Videos
Golf-related injuries seen at hospital emergency departments
1National Reference Centre for Classification in Health, School of Public Health, Queensland University of Technology.
Insights
Golf injuries commonly involve being hit by a club or ball. Children and adolescents are particularly at risk from golf club impacts, highlighting the need for injury prevention strategies.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Trauma Surgery
- Public Health
Background:
- Golf is a popular sport with a significant incidence of injuries.
- Emergency department data provides valuable insights into sports-related trauma.
- Understanding injury mechanisms is crucial for prevention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the incidence and mechanisms of golf-related injuries.
- To identify demographic differences in injury patterns.
- To inform injury prevention strategies in golf.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of emergency department presentations.
- Data collected over a six-and-a-half-year period in South-East Queensland.
- Categorization of injuries by mechanism and patient demographics.
Main Results:
- 300 golf-related injuries were reported.
- Primary injury mechanisms: being hit by a club (37%), hit by a ball (28%).
- Children/adolescents: 77% of injuries caused by golf clubs; adults: hit by ball.
Conclusions:
- Golf-related injuries are common, with distinct mechanisms for different age groups.
- Targeted injury prevention and player education are recommended.
- Reducing golf injuries requires addressing specific risks like club and ball impacts.
Abstract:
Golf-related injuries are reported for 300 patients attending emergency departments of south-east Queensland hospitals over a six and a half year period. The main mechanisms of golf-related injury were being hit by a club (37%), hit by a ball (28%), sprains/strains (9.67%) and slips/falls (7%). For adult players, the main source of injury was being hit by a ball, while for children and adolescents being struck by a golf club accounted for 77 percent of hospital presentations. In the total study group, 46 people (15%) were admitted to hospital following their presentation at the emergency departments. Injury prevention and player education strategies are suggested as a means of reducing injuries in this popular sport.