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Injury and Illness in World Taekwondo Junior Athletes: An Epidemiological Study

Author

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  • Hee Seong Jeong

    (Department of Physical Education, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea
    International Olympic Committee Research Centre Korea, Seoul 03722, Korea
    The co-first authors (Hee Seong Jeong and Sunghe Ha) contributed equally to this work.)

  • Sunghe Ha

    (International Olympic Committee Research Centre Korea, Seoul 03722, Korea
    Department of Clinical Research on Rehabilitation, National Rehabilitation Center, Seoul 01022, Korea
    The co-first authors (Hee Seong Jeong and Sunghe Ha) contributed equally to this work.)

  • Dae Hyoun Jeong

    (Department of Family and Community Medicine, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, IL 62702, USA)

  • David Michael O’Sullivan

    (Division of Sports Science, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Korea
    The co-corresponding authors (David Michael O’Sullivan and Sae Yong Lee) contributed equally to this work.)

  • Sae Yong Lee

    (Department of Physical Education, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea
    International Olympic Committee Research Centre Korea, Seoul 03722, Korea
    Institute of Convergence Science, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea
    The co-corresponding authors (David Michael O’Sullivan and Sae Yong Lee) contributed equally to this work.)

Abstract

Taekwondo has been reported to be one of the most injurious sports in the summer Olympics, however, there is a dearth of data about injury profiles for junior athletes. Therefore, we aimed to identify the incidence and profiles of the injuries and illnesses that occurred during the 2018 World Taekwondo Junior Championships and recorded using an online system. Among the 889 athletes, 67 injuries and four illnesses were reported, corresponding to an overall clinical incidence of 7.5 injuries (95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.7–9.3) and 0.5 illnesses (0.1–0.9) per 100 athletes. The most frequent injuries were lower extremity injuries ( n = 33, 3.71% of all athletes), mostly in the foot/toe ( n = 11, 1.2% of athletes), followed by head and trunk injuries, mostly in the face ( n = 14, 1.6% of athletes), and upper extremity injuries, mostly in the fingers ( n = 6, 0.7% of athlete). Contusions ( n = 37, 4.2% of athlete) were the most frequent injury type, followed by ligament ruptures/sprains and laceration. The most common injury mechanism was contact during an opponent attack ( n = 51, 5.7% of athlete). Three mild concussions none resulted in time loss (none required hospital transfer or had prolonged recovery). The respiratory system was the most affected by illness, with pain and fever as symptoms. Environmental factors were the most common cause of illness. This study shows that 7.5 per 100 athletes (38.5/1000 athlete-exposures and 6.9/1000 min-exposures) had new or recurrent injuries, whereas 0.5 per 100 athletes experienced illness. In conclusion, the data shows male athletes reported more injuries than females and the most common cause of injury was due to contact between athletes. Contusions, ligament rupture/sprains, laceration and fractures to the lower extremities, head, and trunk were the most common injury. Knowing these injury profiles of junior taekwondo athletes can help taekwondo stakeholders, especially medical staff to prepare accordingly to ensure the safety of the athletes.

Suggested Citation

  • Hee Seong Jeong & Sunghe Ha & Dae Hyoun Jeong & David Michael O’Sullivan & Sae Yong Lee, 2021. "Injury and Illness in World Taekwondo Junior Athletes: An Epidemiological Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-11, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:4:p:2134-:d:503761
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Boae Son & Young Jae Cho & Hee Seong Jeong & Sae Yong Lee, 2020. "Injuries in Korean Elite Taekwondo Athletes: A Prospective Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(14), pages 1-10, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Mi-ock Han & Nam-kyung Lee & Hyung-pil Jun, 2023. "Injury Incidence and Its Characteristics in Korean Youth and Collegiate Taekwondo Sparring Athletes: A Retrospective Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(8), pages 1-9, April.

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