Prevalence of sport surfing-related injuries – A cross-sectional study of the Portuguese surfing teachers [Prävalenz von Verletzungen im Zusammenhang mit Sportsurfen – eine Studie der portugiesischen Surflehrer]

Abstract

Background

Surfing is an increasingly popular recreational sport in Portugal. Although surfing-related injuries have short-term and long-term impact, little is known about their prevalence. Our purpose is to determine the lifetime prevalence of surfing-related injuries in the Portuguese surfing teachers (ST) population. Material and methods

This is a cross-sectional study of the Portuguese ST population. An online survey was distributed through all surfing schools registered at Portuguese Surf Federation to their teachers. The survey included a brief demographic characterization and questions regarding past surf injuries. Results

102 teachers answered the survey. Most ST were male (94,1%), with a median age of 37 years old (range 20–52) and a median surfing practice experience of 22 years (range 1–40). The most frequent injuries were musculoskeletal (58.2%) and skin and soft tissue conditions (58.2%). 46.8% reported previous history of external ear exostosis, and 17.7% pterygium. Concussion, vertebral trauma, and drowning were rare. We found no association between types of surfing modalities and previous history of surf-related injuries (p > 0.05). Discussion

To our knowledge, this is the first research on injuries of Portuguese ST. ST constitute an experienced surfing population, which makes them a good sample to get a diverse history of past injuries. Thus, getting a broader perspective on acute and long-term injuries that surfers can suffer while practicing the sport. Conclusion

Portuguese ST have a high rate of traumatic injuries, which point to the need for a systematic approach to injury prevention and water safety education in the surfing community.