Running Injuries Running High

The number of running-related injuries among children is on the rise

(RxWiki News) Over the course of a 14-year study, researchers saw a rise in the number of running-related injuries among children 6 to 18 years old.

The study, which will appear in the February 2011 issue of the journal Clinical Pediatrics, demonstrates the need to better educate children on the proper way to run in order to avoid injury.

Researchers at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital examined 225,344 cases of running-related injuries in children that occurred from 1994 through 2007. They found that the majority of these cases were sprains and strains to the lower extremities of the body. Approximately one third of the injuries involved a fall and over one half happened at school.

The type of injury differed by age. Children 6 to 14 years of age were more likely to sustain an injury because of a fall or while running at school. Injuries sustained while running in the street or during sports and recreational activities were more common in adolescents who were 15 to 18 years of age.

According to Lara McKenzie, Ph.D., principle investigator at the Center for Injury Research and Policy, these findings suggest that evidence-based and age-specific guidelines should be established in order to teach children safer running practices. As this study is the first to examine such a broad nationwide sample of running-related injuries in children, further research is necessary in order to establish guidelines. With more research, McKenzie believes we can reduce children's risk of injury.

Review Date: 
January 27, 2011