An assessment of high school cheerleading: injury distribution, frequency, and associated factors.

STUDY DESIGN

Mail survey of cheerleading-related training and injuries.

OBJECTIVE

To collect and describe injury frequency, distribution, and associated factors related to the activity of cheerleading.

BACKGROUND

Estimates indicate that more than 1 million participants are involved in cheerleading at various levels; however, little information exists relative to injuries and training. Unlike most other sports, cheerleader injuries are not tracked in a central database.

METHODS AND MEASURES

High school cheerleaders (mean age, 16.3 years) in 3 midwest states completed questionnaires mailed to their respective high schools. Of the surveys mailed to 104 schools, 425 (32.2%) were returned and sufficiently completed for analysis.

RESULTS

Participants reported an average of 4.1 years of experience and 61.9% of the respondents had sustained 1 or more career injury. During the previous year, 41.3% had sustained 1 or more injuries (mean +/- SD, 1.7 +/- 1.9), resulting in an average of 3.4 reported missed practice or performance days. Of all injuries, the ankle (24.4%), back (16.1%), and wrist or hand (15.6%) were the most frequent sites of injury.

CONCLUSION

The rates of injury in cheerleading are comparable to rates of other sports. To accurately provide safety guidelines for all levels of cheerleading, a nationwide injury tracking system is necessary.