The epidemiology of golfrelated injuries in Australian amateur golfers - a multivariate analysis

Abstract

Objective. To perform an epidemiological study in order to determine the golf-related injury locations, injury rates and possible risk factors for golf injury in amateur golfers across Australia. Method. A retrospective cross-sectional survey of Australian golf club members was used to collect data for the study. Chi-square testing was used to evaluate the association between golf injury and each possible risk factor at univariate level. All the possible risk factors were further examined in multivariate analysis using logistical regression. Results. There were 1 634 golfers included in the present study. Of these, 288 reported having had one or more golfrelated injuries in the previous year. The most common injury location was the lower back (25.3%), followed by the elbow (15.3%) and shoulder (9.4%). The most common injury mechanism was poor technique in execution of the golf swing (44.8%). Age, warm-up status, conditioning habits, wearing a golf glove/s and injury acquired in other sports / activities were significantly associated with risk of golf injury (p < 0.05). Equipment use such as type of golf club shaft used, type of shoes used and other factors studied were not statistically significant. Conclusion. The most injured sites identified in this study were the lower back, elbow and shoulder respectively. Risk of injury during golfing varied according to age group, warm-up status, conditioning habits, whether the player wore a golf glove/s, and whether the golfer had been injured in other activities.

South African Journal of Sports Medicine Vol. 19 (1) 2007: pp. 12-19