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Meta-Analysis
. 2015 Jul;45(7):1017-26.
doi: 10.1007/s40279-015-0333-8.

Incidence of Running-Related Injuries Per 1000 h of running in Different Types of Runners: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Solvej Videbæk  1 , Andreas Moeballe Bueno, Rasmus Oestergaard Nielsen, Sten Rasmussen
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Incidence of Running-Related Injuries Per 1000 h of running in Different Types of Runners: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Solvej Videbæk et al. Sports Med. 2015 Jul.

Abstract

Background: No systematic review has identified the incidence of running-related injuries per 1000 h of running in different types of runners.

Objective: The purpose of the present review was to systematically search the literature for the incidence of running-related injuries per 1000 h of running in different types of runners, and to include the data in meta-analyses.

Data sources: A search of the PubMed, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, PEDro and Web of Science databases was conducted.

Study selection: Titles, abstracts, and full-text articles were screened by two blinded reviewers to identify prospective cohort studies and randomized controlled trials reporting the incidence of running-related injuries in novice runners, recreational runners, ultra-marathon runners, and track and field athletes.

Study appraisal and synthesis methods: Data were extracted from all studies and comprised for further analysis. An adapted scale was applied to assess the risk of bias.

Results: After screening 815 abstracts, 13 original articles were included in the main analysis. Running-related injuries per 1000 h of running ranged from a minimum of 2.5 in a study of long-distance track and field athletes to a maximum of 33.0 in a study of novice runners. The meta-analyses revealed a weighted injury incidence of 17.8 (95% confidence interval [CI] 16.7-19.1) in novice runners and 7.7 (95% CI 6.9-8.7) in recreational runners.

Limitations: Heterogeneity in definitions of injury, definition of type of runner, and outcome measures in the included full-text articles challenged comparison across studies.

Conclusion: Novice runners seem to face a significantly greater risk of injury per 1000 h of running than recreational runners.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flowchart visualizing the selection process of studies in the systematic review
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Meta-analysis performed on the estimates of running-related injuries per 1000 h in novice runners and recreational runners. aData on standard error or 95 % confidence limits were not reported and the study was therefore not included in the meta-analysis. bData on standard error or 95 % confidence limits were not reported and therefore no meta-analysis was performed on track and field athletes. CI confidence intervals
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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