Can we evidence-base injury prevention and management in women’s football? A scoping review

Okholm Kryger, K.; Wang, A.; Mehta, R.; Impellizzeri, Fm.; Massey, A.; Harrison, M.; Glendinning, R.; McCall, A.

Abstract

This review aimed, as part of a larger FIFA project aiming to steer women’s football research, to scope literature on any level of competitive football for women, to understand the current quantity of research on women’s football injuries. The study reviewed all injury-related papers scoped by a recent scoping review mapping all published women's football research with an updated search performed on 23 February 2021. Eligibility criteria assessment followed the recent scoping review with injury-specific research focus. A total of 497 studies were scoped. Most studies contained an epidemiological (N = 226; 45%) or risk factors assessment (N = 105; 21%). Less assessed areas included financial burden (N = 1; <1%) and injury awareness (N = 5; 1%). 159 studies (32%) assessed injuries of the whole body. The most common single location assessed in the literature was the knee (N = 134, 27%), followed by head/face (N =108, 22%). These numbers were, however, substantially lowered, when subdivided by playing level and age-group. The volume of research focuses especially on descriptive research and specific body locations (head/face and knee). Although information can be taken from studies in other sports, more football-specific studies to support management and prevention of injuries are warranted.

Citation

Okholm Kryger, K., Wang, A., Mehta, R., Impellizzeri, F., Massey, A., Harrison, M., …McCall, A. (2023). Can we evidence-base injury prevention and management in women’s football? A scoping review. Research in Sports Medicine, 31(5), 517-718. https://doi.org/10.1080/15438627.2022.2038161

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jan 10, 2022
• Online Publication Date: Feb 14, 2022
• Publication Date: 2023
• Deposit Date: Mar 7, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 11, 2023
• Journal: Research in Sports Medicine
• Print ISSN: 1543-8627
• Electronic ISSN: 1543-8635
• Publisher: Routledge
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 31
• Issue: 5
• Pages: 517-718
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/15438627.2022.2038161
• Keywords: Female, girls, ladies, soccer, evaluation, injuries
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/2851501