ABSTRACT
In Brazil, running is the second most practiced sport, and it can cause musculoskeletal injuries. Studies on the subject are important to guide prevention and intervention strategies. Therefore, the objective of the study was to investigate the prevalence of injuries and associated factors in road runners in the city of Juiz de Fora-MG-Brazil. This is an observational cross-sectional study. A convenience sampling was adopted. This study included amateur runners of both sexes, aged between 18 and 60, training in the city of Juiz de Fora-MG. Participants with history of fracture and osteosynthesis in lower limbs or who performed sports practices other than weight training were excluded. Student’s t-tests, Mann-Whitney and X² (α = 0,05) were used to analyze the data. Participants were allocated in Injury Group (IG, n=37) and Without Injury Group (WIG, n=113). Injury prevalence was 24.7%. The IG had been practicing running for a longer time (76.2±9.1 X 36.7±39.0 months, p<.01); had their weekly training frequency increased (49.5% vs. 54.2%, P=.04); stretched less before training (48.6% X 75.2%, P=.02); presented a higher percentage of gait analysis for footwear selection (62.1% X 43.3%, P=.04) and insole use (35.1% X 14.1%, P=<.01). Injury prevalence was low and those who have been running longer than others had a higher risk of injury even without an increase in weekly frequency. Stretching was protective and the prescription of indiscriminate footwear and insole did not guarantee satisfactory results.
Keywords
Running/injuries; Prevalence
