Risk Factors for Persistence and Development of Frequent Musculoskeletal Pain in Adolescent Athletes

• Physical activity has a positive impact on health, but adolescent athletes often report musculoskeletal pain (MP) which is negative in the aspect of sustaining physical activity over time. There is a lack of longitudinal assessments of MP and potential risk factors, such as timing of physical maturation, in adolescent athletes.Objectives:To identify risk factors associated with the persistence or development of frequent MP at a 2-year follow-up in adolescent sport school students.Methods:Fourteen-year-old sport school students (n=233) were invited to participate in this 2-year longitudinal study. Self-reports of MP was assessed as frequency, distribution, and intensity, and health status by EQ-5D. Physical maturation was calculated by the Mirwald equation (height, weight, and sitting height) (1), and categorized as early (>1 year), average (±1 year), or late (<–1 year). Students were grouped at baseline and follow-up into infrequent (never to monthly) or frequent (weekly to daily) MP groups. Logistic regression analysis was used to study associations between frequent MP at follow-up and baseline variables.Results:131 students (79 boys and 52 girls) were included in the study. Development or persistence of frequent MP at follow-up (n=61) was associated with being a girl, late physical maturation (only boys were categorized as late), non-contact sports participation, frequent MP at baseline, and reporting ≥2 MP sites at baseline. Students with a better health status at baseline were less likely to belong to the frequent MP group at follow-up (Table).Conclusion:Frequent MP is common in sport school students. MP in young athletes may become a future health problem and there is a need for recognition and interventions by coaches and health services to prevent MP from becoming persistent.References:[1]Mirwald, R. L., Baxter-Jones, A. D., Bailey, D. A., & Beunen, G. P. (2002). An assessment of maturity from anthropometric measurements.Med Sci Sports Exerc, 34(4), 689-694.Table.Associations between background variables at baseline and frequent MP at follow-up based on crude logistic regression analysis controlling each variable for sex.Baseline variablesModelInfrequent MP vs. Frequent MPOR(95% CI; p-value)SexBoys1.00Girls2.76(1.34–5.68; p<0.01)Physical maturationAverage (±1 year)1.00Early (>1 year)0.41(0.05–3.65; p=0.42)Late (<–1 year)3.83(1.13–12.95; p=0.03)Sport categoriesContact1.00Non-contact5.16(2.07–12.88; p<0.001)MP groupsInfrequent1.00Frequent2.74(1.31–5.72; p<0.01)MP intensity last week (NRS 0–10, best to worst)1.15(0.98–1.35; p=0.10)Number of MP sites01.0012.32(0.71–7.58; p=0.16)≥22.87(1.32–6.25; p<0.01)EQ-5D (0.00–1.00, worst to best)0.03(0.001–0.58; p=0.02)Disclosure of Interests:None declared

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MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences (hsv//eng)

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