International Journal of Sport, Exercise and Health Research 2026; 10(1): 12-17 ; DOI:10.31254/sportmed.10103
Awareness of Overuse Injuries Among Athletes in Non-Contact Sports: A Cross-Sectional Study
Nirjhar Samant1 , Pulak Sharma2
1. PhD Scholar, Orthopaedics, Apex Trauma Center, Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGI), Lucknow-226029, Uttar Pradesh, India
2. Additional Professor and Head, Orthopaedics, Apex Trauma Center, Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGI), Lucknow-226029, Uttar Pradesh, India
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 27th May, 2026 / Revised: 1st January, 1970 / Accepted: 23rd July, 2026 / Published : 24th August, 2026
Introduction: Sports are classified into contact and non-contact types. Traumatic injuries are more common in contact sports, while overuse injuries result from repetitive micro-trauma in non-contact sports. Awareness of overuse injuries is crucial for timely intervention. This study aims to assess overuse injury awareness among non-contact sport athletes in India. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive survey was conducted among 1050 non-contact sports athletes from major training centers in Lucknow. The questionnaire included demographic/sport-related questions and seven assessing overuse injury awareness. After receiving 918 responses and excluding 12, 906 were analysed. Statistical analyses were done using IBM SPSS Statistics 26.0 with significance set at p < 0.05. Results: The study involved 906 athletes from badminton (34.2%), athletics (29%), cricket (18.4%), and swimming (18.4%), mostly male (64%). The largest educational group held undergraduate degrees (30.5%). Most competed at district level (25.3%) with one to three years of experience (47.2%) and trained six to fifteen hours weekly (48.3%). Nearly half (47.2%) had never heard of "overuse injury." Swelling was the most recognized sign (23.8%), and the elbow (26.4%) was seen as most vulnerable, followed by the shoulder (21.2%). Back stretches (21.2%) and jumping/landing drills (21.1%) were believed to cause overuse injuries. When suspecting an injury, 26.2% didn’t know how to respond. Regarding training hours and injury risk, 31.8% agreed, 39% disagreed, and 29.2% were unsure. Notably, 50.1% wrongly believed weight training doesn't increase overuse injury risk. Conclusion: The results reveal a concerning lack of awareness: fewer than one in four competitive athletes understood overuse injuries, and nearly half had never heard of them. This study supports creating targeted sports health education programs in India and similar contexts. Coaches, physiotherapists, and sports scientists are ideal educators due to their trusted roles. Future research should conduct longitudinal studies on educational interventions’ impact on awareness and injury reduction among non-contact sport athletes.
Overuse Injuries, Injury Awareness, Athletes, Non-Contact Sports, Sports Injury Prevention, Sports Health Education
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