Background: Sports injuries sustained by children are worrying because they prevent and deter participation in physical activity. Before we can address such injuries we need to understand the size of the problem and whether there have been changes in occurrence. A study of sports injuries to children, carried out in a Cardiff Accident and Emergency department in 1983, provided the data against which to compare data gathered in 1998.
Methods: Data on all sports injuries to children aged 16 and under treated between September and December 1998 were compared with those reported for the same hospital, age group, injury and period in 1983.
Results: A total of 953 injuries were treated in 1998, representing an increase of 54 per cent [95 per cent confidence interval (CI) 44-64 per cent]. The male:female distribution remained constant and the majority of injuries were due to rugby and soccer. The number of females injured playing rugby and soccer increased and a wider range of sports led to injuries for both males and females. Amongst 10-15-year-olds injury risk increased from 1 in 78 for boys in 1983 to 1 in 22 in 1998 (p < 0.0001). For girls, the increase was from 1 in 117 to 1 in 55 (p < 0.0001). The number of soccer- and rugby-related fractures increased by 52 per cent (95 per cent CI 22-87 per cent).
Conclusions: Sports injury rates have increased considerably over 15 years. With minimal population change, little variation in minor injuries and only small improvements in data capture, the main reason for change appears to be increased participation.