An Examination of Sports Injury Prevention Awareness Among Adolescent and Adult Basketball Players

Purpose: Awareness, knowledge, and attitudes regarding sports injuries play a crucial role in preventing such injuries. In our study, we aimed to examine the awareness of injury prevention among adolescent and adult basketball players.

Method: Awareness of sports injury prevention was assessed using the Sports Injury Prevention Awareness Scale, which was created via Google Forms. The Sports Injury Prevention Awareness Scale consists of 18 items and 4 factors (health status, environmental factors and equipment, exercise session, exercise program).

Results: This study was conducted on 107 basketball players aged 13 to 48 years. Fifty-eight of the basketball players were adolescents (aged 13–19), while forty-nine were adults (aged 20–48). A statistically significant difference was observed between adolescents and adults in total score (p <0.001), health status score (p <0.001), environmental factors and equipment score (p <0.001), exercise session score (p <0.001), and exercise program score (p= 0.021) sub-parameters. The median values for total scores and all sub-parameters were found to be higher in adults compared to adolescents.

Discussion: The main finding of this study is that the injury prevention awareness levels differ between adolescent and adult basketball players, with adults demonstrating a higher level of awareness compared to adolescents. Considering that sports injuries are commonly observed in many athletes starting from adolescence, it is crucial to increase awareness of sports injury prevention and implement educational programs accordingly. Additionally, it is important to assess the extent to which the theoretical knowledge provided in these educational programs is practically applied by the athletes.

Key Words: Awareness, adolescent sports, sports injuries.