Prevalence and Burden of Physical Problems in Female College Basketball Athletes: A 135-Day Prospective Cohort Study

Abstract

Introduction: The purpose of this prospective cohort study was to investigate the prevalence and burden of “any physical complaint” in college female basketball athletes using a daily questionnaire. Methods: Fifty-four female college basketball players were recruited and followed up for 135 days using the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Centre questionnaire. Results: The questionnaire response rate was 96.4% (95% confidence interval: 95.7–97.1). The average daily prevalence of any problem was 44.4%, whereas that of substantial problems was 16.0%. The anatomical areas found to be most frequently affected by physical problems were the ankle (average daily prevalence: 14.5%, 95% confidence interval: 13.4–-15.7), lower back (14.4%, 95% confidence interval: 13.7–15.2), and knee (9.6%, 95% confidence interval: 9.0–10.2). The cumulative severity score, calculated by summing severity scores and dividing by number of respondents, showed that ankle, knee, and lower back problems exhibited greater relative burden. Discussion: Injuries common in basketball athletes, such as ankle sprain, anterior cruciate ligament injury, overuse knee pain, and low-back pain, are reflected in the present data.