The Epidemiology of UK University Football Injuries within the 2011-2012 Season

Although football is one of the most popular sports worldwide, there have been very few studies on injuries suffered at university level. The aim of this study was to collate a wide range of epidemiological findings representative of the injuries suffered by those who play football at this level; while also comparing those injuries suffered between males and females. An electronic retrospective questionnaire was completed by 183 British University level footballers (males n=99, females n=84) who had sustained an injury during the 2011-12 season. The dominant lower limb (ankle: 29.5%, knee: 19.7%) was found as the most common site of injury occurrence with sprains (36. 6%) and muscle strains (23%) reported as the most common types of injury. University players are most often exposed to risk of injury in the autumnal period (20%), whilst playing a competitive match (58.5%) on a grass surface (66.1%) and the severity of injury is high (44.8%). Males reported more groin/thigh and muscle strain injuries compared to females. This study provides a landscape of information in relation to UK university football injuries. There is a need for an injury surveillance initiative to be implemented prospectively involving team doctors and a database of players’ medical records. This, in combination with the results found in this study, will help produce a better evidence base of the epidemiology of injuries at this level which will pave the way for producing preventative strategies that aim to improve the safety of university football participation.