Prevalence of Sports Injuries Among 13- to 15-Year-Old Students in 25 Low- and Middle-Income Countries

The goal of this study was to compare the sex-specific prevalence rate of serious sports injuries in the past year among students ages 13–15 years from 25 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) globally. Data from 46,922 nationally-representative students who participated in the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) were analyzed using complex samples analysis. The GSHS defines injuries as serious when they cause at least one full day of missed school or usual activities or require clinical treatment. Students reporting more than one serious injury in the past year are asked about the single most serious injury. The proportion of students reporting at least one serious injury in the past year ranged from 15–71 % (median 44 %) among boys and 8–70 % (median 30 %) among girls. The proportion of most-serious injuries in the past year that were sports-related ranged from 25–60 % among injured boys (median 35 %) and 12–56 % among injured girls (median 24 %). The most common types of sports-related injuries were broken bones and dislocated joints, reported by 13–62 % (median 28 %) of boys with sports injuries and 10–86 % (median 25 %) of girls with sports injuries. Although the annual injury rates among early adolescents vary widely between countries, the GSHS shows that sports injuries are common globally among both male and female middle school students. Understanding global trends in the health risks for various population groups, such as adolescents, allows community health partnerships to proactively address health needs in the communities they serve.