Data from: Perceptions of football players regarding injury risk factors and prevention strategies

Current approaches regarding injury prevention focus on the transfer of evidence into daily practice. One promising approach is to influence attitudes and beliefs of players. The objective of this study was to record player's perceptions on injury prevention. A survey was performed among players of one German high-level football (soccer) club. 139 professional and youth players between age 13 and 35 years completed a standardized questionnaire (response rate = 98%). It included categories with (1) history of lower extremity injuries, (2) perceptions regarding risk factors and (3) regularly used prevention strategies. The majority of players (84.2%) had a previous injury. 47.5% of respondents believe that contact with other players is a risk factor, followed by fatigue (38.1%) and environmental factors (25.9%). The relevance of previous injuries as a risk factor is differently perceived between injured (25%) and uninjured players (0.0%). Nearly all players (91.5%) perform stretching to prevent injuries, followed by neuromuscular warm up exercises (54.0%). Taping is used by 40.2% of previously injured players and 13.6% of players without a history of injuries. In conclusion, the perception of risk factors and performed preventive strategies are inconsistent with scientific evidence. Future transfer strategies should incorporate the players believes and attitudes.当前运动损伤预防领域的相关研究方法，均聚焦于将科研证据转化为日常实践应用。其中一种颇具前景的路径，是对运动员的态度与认知施加影响。本研究旨在记录运动员对于运动损伤预防的认知情况，针对德国某顶级足球（soccer）俱乐部开展了问卷调查。共计139名年龄介于13至35岁之间的职业与青年运动员完成了标准化调查问卷，问卷回收率达98%。问卷涵盖三大板块：(1) 下肢损伤史；(2) 对损伤危险因素的认知；(3) 日常采用的损伤预防策略。 多数运动员（84.2%）曾有过损伤史。47.5%的受访者认为与其他运动员的身体接触是损伤危险因素，其次为疲劳（38.1%）与环境因素（25.9%）。有既往损伤史的运动员与无损伤史运动员，对于「既往损伤作为危险因素」的认知存在显著差异：前者中仅25%认可该关联，后者则为0.0%。 几乎所有运动员（91.5%）都会通过拉伸来预防损伤，其次为神经肌肉热身训练（54.0%）。有既往损伤史的运动员中，40.2%会采用贴扎防护，而无损伤史的运动员中该比例仅为13.6%。 综上，运动员对损伤危险因素的认知及所采用的预防策略，均与科研证据存在不符之处。未来的科研成果转化策略应充分纳入运动员的认知与态度。