Sports & Exercise Research Volume 25 Number 3
Author：Yu-Lun Huang; Willie Chun Wai Leung; Ya-Ting Chang
Period/Date/Page：Vol. 25 No. 4 (2023 / 12 / 31) ， P436 - 457
DOI：10.5297/ser.202312_25(4).0007
Analysis of Sports Injury and Illness Epidemiological Research in Taiwan Based on the International Olympic Committee Consensus Statement
Abstract：The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has released the "IOC Consensus Statement: Methods for recording and reporting of epidemiological data on injury and illness in sport 2020" to promote consistent methodology and definitions in sports injury and illness epidemiology and to understand patterns and causes for athlete wellbeing. The Consensus Statment suggests that seven elements should be included in the data collection and research reports, and launches a "Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology Checklist Extension for Sport Injury and Illness Surveillance" (hereinafter referred to as the Checklist). This study analyzes sports-related injury and illness epidemiology research in Taiwan from 2000 to 2021 based on the Consensus Statement and Checklist. The study encompasses data collection and reporting methods, with the following objectives: (a) to analyze the inclusion of the seven elements in the research and assess the completeness of reporting; and (b) to review the research methods used in the included studies and analyze potential challenges. A total of 40 studies were included, and the results revealed that previous research mostly used self-reported questionnaires without sports exposure information, and were not reported by healthcare professionals, hindering the provision of clinically meaningful sports epidemiological data. The primary issue in Taiwan is the absence of the user-friendly sports injury surveillance system for long-term data collection, which should be a top priority in the development of national sports science. Effective prevention of sports injuries and illnesses relies on high-quality sports epidemiology data, reported by trained healthcare providers on-site for accurate health data. Making the database public would encourage researchers to analyze the data according to the IOC's recommendations, leading to evidence-based guidelines for sports injury prevention. (Full text)
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