soccer and gender effect of groin pain

Problem: Groin pain is common in soccer players but the prevalence has only been examined in uncontrolled studies. Methods: 479 male soccer players aged 25 years (17 - 43) (mean with range), 144 female soccer players aged 23 years (16 - 47), 74 men with no history of soccer training aged 26 years (16 - 42) and 94 women with no history of soccer training aged 23 years (range 15 - 43) answered a mailed questionnaire that included specific questions on groin pain and training history. Data are presented as proportions (%) or as mean with 95 % confidence intervals (95% CI). Results: 55% male soccer players and 26% male controls had experienced groin pain, resulting in an odds ratio (OR) of 3.7 (95% CI 2.1, 6.6). The corresponding proportions were in female soccer players 28 % and in female controls 13 % giving an OR of 2.8 (95% CI 1.4, 5.8). When comparing the genders the higher proportion of males than females that had experienced groin pain resulted in an OR of 2.9 (95% CI 1.9, 4.5) for male versus female soccer players and an OR of 2.6 (95% CI 1.1, 5.3) for male versus female controls. Discussion: Playing soccer and being of the male gender are factors associated with a higher risk of experiencing groin pain.