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EPIDEMIOLOGICAL COMPARISON OF INJURIES BETWEEN A NAIA MEN’S AND WOMEN’S SOCCER PROGRAM

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Previous research comparing injury rate differences among NCAA Injury Surveillance Program (ISP) and one NAIA women’s soccer program (Truett McConnell University (TMU)) found remarkable injury risk among the NAIA soccer players. Greater attention has been placed on injury prevention and strength and conditioning as a result. The purpose of this study was to examine the sex differences between male and female soccer players at TMU for the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 seasons. The findings can bring more awareness to injuries among soccer players and the need for injury prevention programs. METHODS: An epidemiological study was conducted to investigate injury rates between men and women’s soccer at TMU, to investigate the difference of injury rates between women’s soccer seasons 2021-2022 and 2022-2023; and, to investigate the difference of injury rates between men’s soccer seasons 2021-2022 and 2022-2023. Injury data was collected by a staff certified athletic trainer (AT) from TMU using CSMI SportsWare Online. The study identified incident rate ratios (IRR) by finding the total number of knee injuries divided by the total number of athlete-exposures (AEs). The study compared the IRR of men’s and women’s soccer, compared the IRR of women’s soccer during the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 seasons; and, compared the IRR of men’s soccer during the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 seasons. RESULTS: The rate of injury in women’s soccer was higher in both regular seasons. Women’s soccer IRR (1.625/1,000 AE) compared to the men’s soccer at TMU (0.615/1,000 AEs) for the 2021-2022. The rate of injury in women’s soccer was higher (1.357/1,000 AEs) compared to the rate of injury in men’s soccer (0.073/1,000 AEs) for the 2022-2023 season. The rate of injury in women’s soccer at TMU for the 2021-2022 season was higher (1.188/ 1,000 AEs) compared to the rate of injury of women’s soccer for the 2022-2023 season (0.842/1,000 AEs). The rate of injury in men’s soccer at TMU for the 2021-2022 season was higher (1.75/1,000 AEs) compared to the injury rate of men’s soccer for the 2022-2023 season (0.571/1,000 AEs).CONCLUSIONS: During the 2022-23 academic year a certified strength and conditioning specialist was hired at TMU and the IRR for both teams dropped. The rate of injury of women’s soccer was however almost twice as high as the injury rate of men’s soccer at TMU for the seasons 2021-2022 and 2022-2023. The rate of injury among men and women’s soccer during the season 2021-2022 was almost twice as high as the injury rate among men and women’s soccer during the season 2022-2023. The results of this study highlights the need for injury prevention programs among both men and women’s soccer players at TMU and soccer in general due to the physical nature of the sport.

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