Aim
Study aim was an attempt to characterize injuries and factors
correlating with them in skiers and snowboarders.
3. Material and methods
Study was carried out between March and April 2011 among
Upper Silesia Region inhabitants doing skiing or snowboarding.
Inclusion criteria were: age range: 18–50 years, doing
skiing or snowboarding, agreement for participation. Exclusion
criteria were: age below 18 years and above 50 years,
undoing skiing or snowboarding and disagreement for
participation. Study was based on self-prepared questionnaire
composed of three parts, assessing respectively: sociodemographic
factors, participated sport discipline and sustained
injuries. Study participation was anonymous and voluntary.
Research protocol did not require local Bioethics Committee
acceptance.
Surveys were distributed randomly among 122 people who
had left for winter holidays; 8 people were excluded from the
study because of not meeting the age inclusion criterion,
while 14 because of undoing skiing/snowboarding. For further
analysis 100 people were qualified: 60 females and 40 males,
age range: 20–49 years (mean age: 30.95 10.64). The most
numerous group of participants were people between 20 and
25 years, respectively 30% of females and 19% of males.
Among questioned people 90% live in city while 10% in the
country. Most of participants (70%) do skiing while 30%
snowboarding.
Microsoft Excel 2007 for statistical analysis was used.
Pearson's x2 test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used
to calculate the statistical significance level which was set at
P < .05.
4. Results
Injuries during skiing or snowboarding were reported by 55%
of participants. In snowboarders group, the number of injured
participants (63%) was higher than in skiers (51%). In
researched group 53% of females sustained injuries while
skiing or snowboarding in comparison with 57% of injured
males; thus, gender do not modify the risk of sustaining
injuries (P > .05) (Fig. 1).
Most of injured participants were in the age between 20 and
25 years, respectively 33% of skiers and 68% of snowboarders.
Injuries dependency on age of participants is statistically
significant (P < .05) (Table 1).
In both disciplines anatomical localizations of injuries are
different. In snowboarders upper extremity injuries predominantly
occur (35%) while in skiers lower limb injuries are most
frequent (62%). In both disciplines the type of sustained
injuries is equally important as anatomical localization. Types
of injuries differ between skiing and snowboarding. In skiers
the most common injuries were sprains (47%) while in
snowboarders contusions (63%)