Longitudinal analysis of the incidence rate of injury in elite youth football: Trends over six years including the COVID-19 pandemic period

Abstract

Objectives

We aimed to analyze injury trends and the possible effects of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic on the incidence rates of injury in young elite football players.

Design

A prospective cohort study design was adopted.

Participants

Our study included 832 male football players who suffered an injury during any of the six competitive seasons.

Setting

An elite youth football academy.

Main outcome measure

Descriptive data and the incidence of injury were calculated. A generalized linear mixed model was used to assess differences in the occurrence of injury among the various age groups. Joinpoint regression was used to analyze injury trends.

Results

Joinpoint regression models showed a statistically significant decrease in the incidence of injury in all age groups with an average annual percent change (AAPC) of 13.9 (95 %Confidence Interval [CI]:-23.2 - 3.4) and −13.5 (95 %CI:-24.5 to −0.9) for models with zero and one joinpoint, respectively. Football players in older age groups sustain a higher number of injuries, probably due to a higher number of matches and greater training intensity.

Conclusion

This study showed a downward trend in injuries in the participants prior to the pandemic, with an evident increase in the incidence rate of injury during the COVID-19 pandemic.