Running-related Injuries in Middle School Cross Country Runners: Prevalence and characteristics of common injuries.

Background Understanding the prevalence and factors associated with running-related injuries in middle school runners may guide injury prevention. Objective To determine the prevalence of running-related injuries and describe factors related to a history of injury. Design Retrospective cross-sectional study. Setting Survey distributed online to middle school runners. Methods Participants completed a web-based survey regarding prior running-related injuries, training, sleep, diet, and sport participation. Main outcome measurements Prevalence and characteristics differentiating girls and boys with and without running-related injury history adjusted for age. Participants Youth runners (total: 2113, average age, 13.2 years; boys: n = 1255, girls: n = 858). Results Running-related injuries were more prevalent in girls (56% vs. 50%, p = .01). Ankle sprain was the most common injury (girls: 22.5%, boys: 21.6%), followed by patellofemoral pain (20.4% vs. 7.8%) and shin splints (13.6% vs. 5.9%); both were more prevalent in girls (p Conclusions Most middle school runners reported a history of running-related injuries and certain injuries differing by gender. Modifiable factors with the greatest association with running-related injuries included training volume, dietary restraint, skipping meals, and less sleep. Sport sampling, including participation in ball sports, may reduce running-related injury risk in this population.