Physical complaints and participation habits in female artistic roller skaters

Abstract

Introduction: Educational and health professionals need to acquire knowledge about the specific needs of figure skaters, aiming at their effectiveness in training and preventing physical complaints (PC) or injuries. Thus, it is essential not only to characterize the participants and participation habits but also to understand how associations between the characterization and the practitioners' participation habits can influence the frequency of PC or injuries. Objective: To associate the different participation habits and frequency of PC in female figure skaters in the last 12 months. Methods: A web-based survey was developed to gather epidemiological details on female artistic roller skaters. The self-response questionnaire covered participant details, participation habits, injury history, and PC within the last 12 months. Participants were invited through official and informal communication channels devoted to artistic roller skating. Results: This study included 143 female artistic roller skaters. Sixty-seven (46.9%) participants experienced 175 episodes (injuries or PC) within the last 12 months, an average of 2.61 complaints per skater. Significant relationships between chronic health conditions (CHC) with category and level of tournaments were found. A higher percentage of skaters with CHC (77.8%) participated in national-level tournaments. Older athletes with previous injuries were at greater risk of injury. A significant relationship was found between previous injuries and PC. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that artistic roller-skating PC are frequent. Changing coaches throughout the athlete's career, increasing the number and hours of training per week, and changing equipment such as boots, or chassis are more likely to have PC. Keywords: artistic roller skating; injuries frequency; participation rates; physical complaints; web-based questionnaire.