Injury and Illness Surveillance in Elite Para Athletes: An Urgent Need for Suitable Illness Prevention Strategies.

Background: Longitudinal monitoring data of Para athletes are sparse.

Objective: The aim of the study was to describe the weekly prevalence and incidence of injuries and illnesses among German athletes preparing for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Paralympic Games.

Methods: Athletes were invited to weekly report on medical problems, their severity/burden and training load, using the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center Questionnaire on Health Problems. In case of any health problem, athletes were contacted and medical support offered. Data were analyzed with regard to impairment type. The acceptance of the monitoring program was evaluated.

Results: Fifty-eight athletes were followed for 29 wks, 10.927 athlete-days. At any given time, 28% (95% confidence interval = 26% to 30%) of athletes reported health problems, and 12% (11% to 14%) substantial health problems. The prevalence of health and illness problems diminished over time by 20.9 ± 4.1% and 16.1 ± 2.9%, P < 0.001, respectively, based on the means of the first and final 5 wks. Paraplegic athletes reported a significantly higher prevalence of all health problems (33%, 29% to 37%) than nonparaplegic athletes (26%, 23% to 29%; P = 0.007). Illnesses were in general more severe and resulted in more time loss days. Athletes reported a high satisfaction with the program.

Conclusions: At any given time, 28% of German Para athletes reported health problems, and 12% experienced substantial health problems. For a health team, illnesses seem to be more important to handle than injuries. The Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center Questionnaire on Health Problems is a suitable method for injury and illness surveillance in Para athletes.