Prevalence, incidence and burden of health problems across playing positions in elite male handball players: a 45-week prospective cohort study

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216224%3A14510%2F25%3A00141005" target="_blank" >RIV/00216224:14510/25:00141005 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/11/2/e002460" target="_blank" >https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/11/2/e002460</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjsem-2025-002460" target="_blank" >10.1136/bmjsem-2025-002460</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Prevalence, incidence and burden of health problems across playing positions in elite male handball players: a 45-week prospective cohort study

Original language description

Objectives To describe the prevalence, incidence and burden of injuries and illnesses, including their patterns (mechanisms, affected body parts/organ systems) across playing positions (wing, back, line and goalkeeper) in elite adult male handball players. Methods The Slovenian version of the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center Questionnaire on Health Problems (OSTRC-H2-SLO) was used to record health problems (HP) weekly during the 45-week handball season 2022/23. Results The study included 189 athletes (age: 23.3±4.4 years). With a weekly response rate of 93%, the mean weekly prevalence of HP was 13.3% (95% CI: 12% to 15%). The overall incidence was 2.2 HP per player per year (95% CI: 1.9 to 2.4), with a cumulative 3318 days lost and a mean time loss of 10.7 days per problem. Acute injuries represented the highest prevalence, incidence and more than 4× greater burden than overuse injuries and illnesses. The knee was the most frequently injured site for both acute and overuse injuries. For acute injuries, the ankle was the second most affected site, while the pelvis/ lower back and shoulder were common in overuse injuries. Respiratory illnesses comprised 48% of all illnesses. Wings had the highest prevalence (17%), while backs exhibited the highest incidence (0.99 HP per player per year 95% CI 0.84-1.17), and goalkeepers faced the longest time-loss per HP. Conclusion Our findings emphasise the need for position-specific medical care and prevention programmes, targeting knee, ankle, pelvis/lower back, shoulder and respiratory tract. Wings and backs require particular attention due to their high prevalence and burden, while goalkeepers need specialised rehabilitation protocols.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

—

OECD FORD branch

30306 - Sport and fitness sciences

Project

—

Continuities

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2025

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

BMJ OPEN SPORT & EXERCISE MEDICINE

ISSN

2398-9459

e-ISSN

2055-7647

Volume of the periodical

11

Issue of the periodical within the volume

2

Country of publishing house

GB - UNITED KINGDOM

Number of pages

9

Pages from-to

1-9

UT code for WoS article

001461990800001

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-105002226395