Table 2.
Methodological details and injury incidence of netball descriptive epidemiological studies of competitions
| Study | Country | Study design & data collection methods | Data collection period | Population | Injury definitions | Injury proportion or rate & athlete exposure | Body region |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hopper (1986) [30] | AUS | Prospective cohort study: State competition: Junior 124, Senior 324 teams. Questionnaire: Self report + physio post treatment | 1983 1 × 14 wk season | Recreational to competitive level. 3,108 netball players, 158 inj. Age Junior: 12–15 y; Senior 16 y + | Any injury presenting to First Aid room requiring immediate medical care or with some form of disability. Minor inj not included | Rate: 50.82/1000 players/match | All |
| Hopper et al. (1995a) [59] | AUS | Prospective cohort study: State competition Questionnaire: Self report + physio post treatment | 1985–1989 5 × 14 wk seasons | Recreational to competitive level. 11,228 netball players, 608 inj. Age 14 y + mean 18.8 ± 5.6 y | Any inj presenting to First Aid room requiring immediate medical care or presented with some form of disability. Minor inj not included. Severity identified by Physio, graded 1, 2 or 3 based on symptoms | Rate: 0.054/player/match | All |
| McKay et al. (1996) [60] | AUS | Prospective cohort study: Netball and basketball State competitions. Trained observers recorded inj, players completed questionnaire & follow-up telephone interviews | 1991–1992 2 × seasons | Elite & recreational level. 9,190 netball players, 159 inj. Mean age 27.2 ± 7.8 y | Bodily harm to player causing stoppage of play, substitution or obvious disability. Severity classified on time-loss and treatment graded trivial, minor, substantial, major, severe | Rate: 17.3 inj/1000 netball players | All |
| Pringle et al. (1998) [61] | NZ | Cross-sectional study: Trained observers recorded rugby union, rugby league & netball inj data. Standardised incident form, follow-up telephone calls by Physio’s monitored to recovery | Not known 4 wk period of 1 season | Junior recreational level. 1512 netball players, 15 inj Age 5–16 y | All inj that impaired a player’s performance. Severity classified on time-lost as minor or moderate | Rate: 13inj/1000 player hrs. Exposure: Not clear | All |
| Hume & Steele (2000) [62] | AUS | Prospective cohort study: State competition: 94 teams. Questionnaire completed by inj player reporting for medical treatment during | 1995 3-day champs | Sub-elite level: U17, U19, U23 & Open (over 23 y). 940 netball players, 131 inj. Mean age 14.4 ± 4.4 y | All players reporting for treatment of any inj incurred during the 3-day champs | Rate: 139.4 inj/1000 players; 23.8/1000 playing hrs Exposure: Estimated individual player match hrs | All |
| Stevenson et al. (2000) [14] | AUS | Prospective cohort WASIS study: Baseline data and incidence of injury, self-report questionnaire with follow-up telephone interview once/m over season | 1997 1 × 5m season | Community level. 258 netball players, 112 inj Age 9–56 y, mean 22 y | Council of Europe definition: any inj occurring during sports participation leads to: reduction in sports activity, need for advice/treatment and/or adverse economic or social effects. Severity based on level of treatment graded minor, moderate or severe | Rate: 12.1 inj/1000 h of participation Exposure: Mean individual combined match and training hrs | All |
| Finch et al. (2002) [15] | AUS | Prospective cohort WASIS study: Baseline data and inj incidence; self-report questionnaire with follow-up telephone surveys once/m over season | 1997– 1998 2 × 5 m seasons | Community level 247 netball players, 216 inj Mean age 22 ± 8 y | Council of Europe definition: see Stevenson et al. (2000) Severity based on level of treatment graded minor, moderate or severe | Rate: 11.3 inj/1000 h of participation Exposure: Mean individual combined match and training hrs | All |
| Finch & Cassell (2006) [63] | AUS | Retrospective cohort study: Self-report household telephone survey of sports & active recreation inj | Not known Previous inj every 2 wk over 12 m | Community/ recreational level. Total 1084 participants; 648 across all sports, 34 net inj. Age 5 y + | Any inj during sport or active recreation regardless of treatment or time loss. Significant injury: required treatment, interfered daily activity &/or impacted subsequent activity | Rate: 19 inj/10,000 population; 51/1000 participants | All |
| Langeveld et al. (2012) [19] | SA | Prospective cohort study: USSA & National champs. Questionnaire completed by team manager, coach or medical staff daily | 2009 3 × champs 4–6 days | Elite/Sub-elite U19, U21 & Senior players. 1280 netball players, 205 inj Severity: No missed matches | Any physical complaint during a netball match or training requiring medical attention. Severity: no. missed matches. Recurrent inj: same type as index inj post recovery from index inj | Rate: 500.7 inj/1000 playing hrs. Exposure: Individual player match time (mins) before inj | All |
| Pillay & Frantz (2012) [64] | SA | Cross-sectional study: Self-report questionnaire of player inj collected at a tournament | 2010 1 × previous season | Elite/Sub-elite level. Total 254 players, 301 inj Age: 55 Club 24.1 ± 6.3 y; 147 Provincial 23.9 ± 5.1; 52 National 24.3 ± 4.3 | Any physical complaint during match or training irrespective of need for medical attention or time loss. Severity based on symptoms graded as mild, moderate, severe. Repeated inj: inj to same site | Rate: 1.9 inj/player/ season | All |
| Singh et al. (2013) [65] | JAM | Retrospective cohort study: Self-report questionnaire of player inj & related inj factors | 2003 –2007 Previous inj 5 y | Elite/Sub elite players: Senior (over 21 y), U21 & U16 age groups. Total of 59 players, 70 inj | Trauma to body resulting in the cessation of play. Severity: no definition used Grade I, II or II. Recurrent inj: repeated inj to same site | Proportion: 68% players inj | All |
| Ellapen et al. (2015) [66] | SA | Retrospective cohort study: Province School League: 80 Schools. Self-report questionnaire of netball inj history & related inj factors | Not known Previous inj 12 m recall period | Junior (school) level. Total 413 players, 258 inj Age 13–17 y | Distress or pain while playing netball preventing physical activity for > 1 day. Pain severity rating 1–5: no pain, mild, moderate, severe, worst pain | Proportion: 62% of players inj | All |
| Bissell & Lorentzos (2018) [67] | AUS | Prospective cohort study: 1 club. Self-report questionnaire on overuse inj (Oslo Sports Trauma Center questionnaire). Recorded 1 × per wk | Not known 1 × 12 wk season | Recreational/Club level players. Total 37 players, 152 overuse inj cases in 42 players. Age: adults < 45 y | All players reporting overuse inj during the 12 wk season. Severity score 0–25: based on time-loss and pain | Inj prevalence: 77.7%. 25% significant overuse inj | Overuse inj of knee, ankle & shoulder |
| Smyth et al. (2020) [68] | AUS | Prospective cohort study: ANNC competition: 16 teams. Medical attention & self-report inj data | 2018 6-day champs | Sub-elite level netball players. Total 192 players; 96 U17, 96 U19. 103 inj | Concurrent IDCF: Any inj that required physio assessment irrespective of timeloss. Sports incapacity: inj resulted in any match time-loss or reduction in capacity based on HPQ Injury Classification: OSIICS | Rate: 89.4 inj/1000 player hrs. Sports incapacity: 19.1 inj/1000 player hrs. Exposure: Individual athlete & mean team match exposure (no athletes x no. teams x matches x min/match) | All |
| Botha et al. (2020) [69] | SA | Cross-sectional study: 2 junior tournaments. Standardised self-report questionnaire on inj & training modalities | 2015 + 2017 Duration not stated | Junior (U15, U16) & Senior (U19) school level netball players. Total 560 players, 46 inj: 220 U15, 17 inj; 220 U16, 20 inj; 120 U19, 9 inj | Any physical complaint during netball match-play or training requiring medical attention | Rate: total 22.5 inj/1000 playing hrs. U15: 22.8; U16: 22.8; U19: 21.2. Exposure: Mean team match playing hrs (no. matches x game length x players) | All |
| Sinclair et al. (2020) [70] | SA | Cross-sectional study: School & State leagues. Inj diagnosed by doctor. Inj questionnaire completed with support of research assistant weekly | 2017–2018 2 × seasons | U18 secondary school, U19, U21 & Senior Free State netball players. Total 96 players, 48 inj | Any physical complaint during netball match-play or training requiring medical treatment, loss of time or performance restriction. Severity: based on time-loss categories slight, minor, moderate, major | Rate: 33.9 inj/1000 h of match play Exposure: Mean match hours (1 match = 14 playing hrs) | All |
| Janse van Rensburg et al. (2021) [18] | SA | Prospective cohort study: Netball World Cup 2019: 16 teams. Inj surveillance forms completed by team physician &/or venue doctors | 2019 10-day champs | Elite level players. 16 national teams. Total 192 players, 49 inj Mean age 26.6 y (95%CI: 25.9–27.3) | Any newly acquired inj & exacerbations requiring medical attention during the tournament. Severity: number days lost Recurrent inj: recovery from index injury and subsequent presentation of same inj | Rate: 54.8/1000 player hrs. Prevalence 20.3% Exposure: Mean individual match hrs (1 h × 7 players = 7 match player hrs/team/match) | All |
| Toohey et al. (2022) [71] | AUS | Prospective cohort study: SSN competition: 8 teams. Inj data collected during preseason, in-season & offseason. Data recorded by doctor or Physiotherapist using centralised database | 2017 – 2019 3 × 17 wk seasons | Elite level players. 8 teams, total 119 players, 866 inj. Mean age 25.4 ± 4.2 y | All inj requiring medical attention and time-loss. Severity based on length of time-loss. Injury burden: mean severity x inj incidence Subsequent injury: any inj following initial inj in time period Injury Classification: OSIICS | Rate: 3.9 inj/365 player days. Exposure: Pre-season & in-season team hrs based on player contract days (no. contracted players x no. teams x no. surveillance days) | All |
| Kumari & Chaudhary (2023) [72] | IND | Prospective cohort study: All India inter university tournament. 52 teams Data recorded at the Central University of Haryana health centre | Not known | University level players. Total 14 players injured. Age range 18–24 y | Inj involving foot pain, finger pain, finger cuts, leg pain, and ankle twist referred to University health centre | Not provided: 3 finger pain; 7 leg pain; 2 ankle twist; 1 finger cut; 1 foot pain | Foot, finger, leg, ankle |
AUS Australia, NZ New Zealand, SA South Africa, JAM, Jamaica, UK United Kingdom, IND India, Inj injury/injuries, Physio Physiotherapy/Physiotherapist, Champs Championships, y year, m month, wk week, hrs hours, Av Average, no. number, U Under, SD standard deviation, AIS Australian Institute of Sport, NISU National Injury Surveillance Unit, WASIS Western Australian Sports Injury Study, ANNC Australian National Netball Championships, IDCF Concurrent Injury Definitions Concept Framework, HPQ Oslo Sports Trauma Research Centre Health Problems Questionnaire, SSN Suncorp Super Netball League