Epidemiology of injuries in male and female youth football players: A systematic review and meta-analysis

• Published in: Journal of sport and health science Vol. 11; no. 6; pp. 681 - 695
• Main Authors: Robles-Palazón, Francisco Javier, López-Valenciano, Alejandro, De Ste Croix, Mark, Oliver, Jon L., García-Gómez, Alberto, Sainz de Baranda, Pilar, Ayala, Francisco
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: China Elsevier B.V 01.11.2022; Sport Performance Research Institute New Zealand(SPRINZ),Auckland University of Technology,Auckland 0632,New Zealand%Operative Research Centre,Miguel Hernández University of Elche,Elche 03202,Spain%Department of Physical Activity and Sport,Faculty of Sport Sciences,Campus of Excellence Mare Nostrum,University of Murcia,Murcia 30720,Spain; School of Sport and Exercise,University of Gloucestershire,Gloucester GL2 9HW,UK; Department of Physical Activity and Sport,Faculty of Sport Sciences,Campus of Excellence Mare Nostrum,University of Murcia,Murcia 30720,Spain%Centre for Sport Studies,King Juan Carlos University,Madrid 28933,Spain%School of Sport and Exercise,University of Gloucestershire,Gloucester GL2 9HW,UK%Youth Physical Development Centre,School of Sport and Health Sciences,Cardiff Metropolitan University,Cardiff CF23 6XD,UK; Shanghai University of Sport; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Female; Humans; Incidence; Male; Muscle injuries; Review; Severity; Soccer; Young Adult; Young athletes; Muscle injuries; Severity; Soccer; Young athletes; Incidence
• ISSN: 2095-2546; 2213-2961
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jshs.2021.10.002

•Youth football players are at high risk of injury, especially during matches.•Male and female youth football players show different injury patterns.•The number of severe injuries in both sexes may not be considered acceptable.•The incidence of injuries increases with advances in chronological age in males.•The quality of evidence for injury incidences in female youth football players is low. To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of epidemiological data of injuries in male and female youth football players. Searches were performed in MEDLINE/PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and SPORTDiscus databases. Studies were considered if they reported injury incidence rate in male and female youth (≤19 years old) football players. Two reviewers (FJRP and ALV) extracted data and assessed trial quality using the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement and the Newcastle Ottawa Scale. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach determined the quality of evidence. Studies were combined using a Poisson random effects regression model. Forty-three studies were included. The overall incidence rate was 5.70 injuries/1000 h in males and 6.77 injuries/1000 h in females. Match injury incidence (14.43 injuries/1000 h in males and 14.97 injuries/1000 h in females) was significantly higher than training injury incidence (2.77 injuries/1000 h in males and 2.62 injuries/1000 h in females). The lower extremity had the highest incidence rate in both sexes. The most common type of injury was muscle/tendon for males and joint/ligament for females. Minimal injuries were the most common in both sexes. The incidence rate of injuries increased with advances in chronological age in males. Elite male players presented higher match injury incidence than sub-elite players. In females, there was a paucity of data for comparison across age groups and levels of play. The high injury incidence rates and sex differences identified for the most common location and type of injury reinforce the need for implementing different targeted injury-risk mitigation strategies in male and female youth football players. [Display omitted]