Injury in street runners: prevalence and associated factors

Abstract

Problem statement: The street running practice has grown substantially in the last decades. Some musculoskeletal injuries from this running can cause prolonged periods of absence from this activity. Aim: To estimate the occurrence of running-related injuries and to analyze their association with sociodemographic characteristics, training variables, and characteristics of the primary type of competition in adult street runners from Curitiba, Brazil. Material and methods: A observational and cross-sectional design study was conducted in 2017. The 195 participants (60.5% male) were recreational street runners, intentionally selected among clients of four running consultancy companies or approached after a race competition. Injury occurrence was selfreported and measured with a dichotomous answer to the question: In the last six months, have you suffered any type of injury to your lower limbs as a result of running? The independent variables included sociodemographic characteristics (sex, age group, body mass, height, Body Mass Index), training variables (weekly frequency, volume, place, professional monitoring), and characteristics of the primary type of competition (main running types, distance, and years of practice). Data were analyzed using a multivariate Poisson regression in SPSS 26.0. Results: The prevalence of injury was 16.9% and was positively associated only with five or more years of run practices (PR: 2.11; 95% CI: 1.07-4.17; p = 0.032). The most injured site was the leg (49%), while the least common was the thigh (3%). Tibial periostitis (47%) and muscle strain (3%) were the most and least reported types of injury, respectively. Conclusion: These results may help professionals develop preventive injury strategies with adequate exercise and periodization to preserve long-time street runners' health.