Retrospective Designs in Sports Injury Surveillance Studies: All is not Lost

Abstract

Epidemiological research on sports injury and illness has significantly grown over the past two decades with increased recognition and support from sports governing bodies and international sports organizations. Collective evidence from different sports is suggestive that sports-related injuries can be prevented.1-4 Epidemiological studies are important to gain insights on the magnitude of the problem in terms of incidence rates, risk, severity and causes and subsequently to develop effective, sports-specific and sustainable injury prevention strategies. Therefore, sports injury surveillance methodologies should be appropriate to the sport as well as to the specific context especially in terms of age, gender, level of participation, tournament or season-based, cross-sectional or longitudinal and if a prevention program needs to be implemented.