Browsing by Author "Barrett, Aimee Patricia"

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    The epidemiology of hostel rugby injuries at Stellenbosch University
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2015-12) Barrett, Aimee Patricia; Terblanche, Elmarie; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Sport Science.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The contact nature of rugby means that players are at a high risk of injury (Quarrie & Hopkins, 2008). Almost every area of the body is at risk of injury and severity of injury ranges from mild to catastrophic. Injury data pertaining to South African university hostel level players have, however, not been investigated previously. Injuries may have a negative impact on the future opportunities in work and sport for these students. Knowledge of the nature and prevalence of injuries amongst these players will facilitate the development of preventative strategies to mitigate the occurrence of injuries. The aim of this study was to describe the nature and prevalence of hostel rugby injuries sustained during matches at Stellenbosch University during the 2011 to 2013 seasons. A retrospective cohort study design was used. The data concerning injuries that occurred during ‘hostel’ rugby matches during 2011 and 2013 were captured on a modified BOKSMART injury surveillance form and entered into an electronic database for analysis (Fuller et al., 2007c). In addition, match fixture data was obtained from the MATIES Rugby Club to enable the reporting of data per 1000 hours of match play. During 2011 - 2013 hostel seasons, there were 335 injuries which correlated to an injury rate of 17.5/1000 playing hours. Two hundred and thirty three (233) time-loss injuries and 102 medical attention injuries were reported. The head (24%), face (23%), shoulder (13%) and knee (10%) were the body parts most affected and the tackle was the phase of play where most injuries occurred (n = 199; 59.4%). The most common injuries were lacerations (23.6%), joint injuries (16.1%), concussions (15.5%) and ligament injuries (11.9%). Forwards sustained more injuries compared to backs (172 vs 160) and the specific positions that proved most vulnerable were the flanks, centres, left wings, hookers and fullbacks. Most injuries were of moderate severity (resulting in 8-28 days missed) which could have a significant impact in an academic environment. Hostel players may be at higher risk due to long mid-season breaks and lack of conditioning programs in their respective teams (Kaplan et al., 2008). Hostel players have a similar injury prevalence rate when compared to school boy players and a lower rate when compared to club, provincial and national players (Palmer-Green, et al., 2013; Fuller et al., 2013). They are, however, a distinctive population who are affected by a range of unique risk factors such as lack of conditioning and academic pressure. There is a definite need for prevention strategies in this division of players because injuries may have an effect on their academic performances which in turn may affect their future careers.