Data from: Perceptions of football players regarding injury risk factors and prevention strategies

Current approaches regarding injury prevention focus on the transfer of
evidence into daily practice. One promising approach is to influence
attitudes and beliefs of players. The objective of this study was to
record player's perceptions on injury prevention. A survey was
performed among players of one German high-level football (soccer) club.
139 professional and youth players between age 13 and 35 years completed a
standardized questionnaire (response rate = 98%). It included categories
with (1) history of lower extremity injuries, (2) perceptions regarding
risk factors and (3) regularly used prevention strategies. The majority of
players (84.2%) had a previous injury. 47.5% of respondents believe that
contact with other players is a risk factor, followed by fatigue (38.1%)
and environmental factors (25.9%). The relevance of previous injuries as a
risk factor is differently perceived between injured (25%) and uninjured
players (0.0%). Nearly all players (91.5%) perform stretching to prevent
injuries, followed by neuromuscular warm up exercises (54.0%). Taping is
used by 40.2% of previously injured players and 13.6% of players without a
history of injuries. In conclusion, the perception of risk factors and
performed preventive strategies are inconsistent with scientific evidence.
Future transfer strategies should incorporate the players believes and
attitudes.