Epidemiology of exercise-related injuries among children

The objective of this study was to describe the epidemiology of injuries from exercise not involving equipment among children 18 and under. Methods included a retrospective review of data for children birth to 18 years old from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance (NEISS) system of the US consumer Product Safety Commission for the years 2005-2009. A total of 5093 cases were identified and would result in an estimated 175,000 injuries in the US. The most common type of injury was a sprain/strain to the ankle (20%). Four out of five injuries were among children between 10 and 18. Injuries occurring at school accounted for 40% of the injuries. Exercise-related injuries are common among older children and often occur in schools or recreational environments but are usually minor. School officials and athletic personnel should make efforts to provide proper instruction on exercise activities and have resources to provide emergency care for injuries.