Awarded New Investigator/Doctoral Dissertation Grant

Abstract

The epidemiology of sports-related injury is changing. As the number of high school sports participants increases, so does the number and severity of injuries, yet the study of injuries in this population has been limited by the inability to calculate injury rates, compare findings across groups, or generalize findings from small study samples. This study proposes to reduce the morbidity, mortality, and disability among adolescent athletes caused by sports-related injuries by developing and implementing a permanent, internet-based high school sports-related injury surveillance system.

Researchers will develop and pilot test an internet-based high school sports related injury surveillance system in a nationally-representative sample of US high schools, from which national estimates can be calculated; implement the injury surveillance system for a pilot period of one academic year; and evaluate the system following the pilot period for completeness of reporting and quality of data. This project is expected to reduce the morbidity, mortality, and disability caused by high school sports-related injuries within 3 to 5 years by providing accurate national estimates of injury incidence, rates, and risk factors. This addresses CDC’s mission to promote physical activity and to prevent injuries and also addresses several Healthy People 2010 injury prevention objectives.