INJURIES IN DISC GOLF - A DESCRIPTIVE CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY.

BACKGROUND: Disc golf is rapidly increasing in popularity and more than two million people are estimated to regularly participate in disc golf activities. Despite this popularity, the epidemiology of injuries in disc golf remains under reported.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the prevalence and anatomic distribution of injuries acquired through disc-golf participation in Danish disc golf players.

METHODS: The study was a cross-sectional study conducted on Danish disc-golf players. In May 2015, invitations to complete a web-based questionnaire were spread online via social media, and around disc-golf courses in Denmark. The questionnaire included questions regarding disc-golf participation and the characteristics of injuries acquired through disc golf participation. The data was analyzed descriptively.

RESULTS: An injury prevalence of 13.3% (95% CI: 6.7% to 19.9%) was reported amongst the 105 disc-golf players who completed the questionnaire. The anatomical locations most commonly affected by injury were the shoulder (31%) and the elbow (20%). Injuries affecting the players at the time of completion of the questionnaire had a median duration of 240 days (IQR 1410 days), and the majority (93%) had a gradual onset.

CONCLUSIONS: A 13.3% point prevalence of injury was reported. Most injuries occurred in the shoulder and elbow regions, and were gradual in onset. Injuries affecting the players at the time of data collection had median symptomatic duration of 240 days.

LEVELS OF EVIDENCE: 3b.