Thornton Jane S, Hewitt Chloe, Khan Karim, Speechley Mark, Ambrose Ashley, Reilly Kristen, Mountjoy Margo Lynn, Gouttebarge Vincent, Crossley Kay
West Coast University-Ontario Campus, Ontario, California, USA.
Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med. 2024 Aug 7;10(3):e001999. doi: 10.1136/bmjsem-2024-001999. eCollection 2024.
To investigate retired elite female rugby players' health outcomes (and their relationships) in five key areas (musculoskeletal, cognitive, mental, reproductive/endocrinological and cardiovascular) and how those compare with the general population.
Female rugby players aged ≥18 years old and retired from elite competition ≥2 years were recruited via email or social media to complete a 179-item online questionnaire and neurocognitive assessment. Data from general population controls (matched for age and sex) were obtained where available.
159 participants responded (average age 43 (±5) years). 156 (98%) reported a hip/groin, knee, foot/ankle or lower back injury during their career, of which 104 (67%) reported ongoing pain. Participants reported worse hip and knee outcomes compared with the general population (p<0.0001). 146 (92%) reported sustaining one or more concussions. History of concussion was associated with lower-than-average scores on neurocognitive assessment. Compared with general population data, retired female rugby players reported less anxiety (OR=0.079 (95% CI 0.03 to 0.19)), depression (OR=0.67 (95% CI 0.57 to 0.78)) and distress (OR=0.17 (95% CI 0.15 to 0.19)). Amenorrhoea rates were higher compared with matched controls, and the age at menopause was younger. The prevalence of hypertension was higher. The rugby players perceived that their health decreased in retirement and cited a lack of physical activity as a main contributor.
Our findings point to the potential value of screening and monitoring, and identifying preventative measures during sporting careers to promote health and long-term quality of life for athletes.
调查退役精英女性橄榄球运动员在五个关键领域（肌肉骨骼、认知、心理、生殖/内分泌和心血管）的健康状况（及其相互关系），并将其与普通人群进行比较。
通过电子邮件或社交媒体招募年龄≥18岁且从精英比赛退役≥2年的女性橄榄球运动员，以完成一份179项的在线问卷和神经认知评估。如有可能，获取来自普通人群对照组（年龄和性别匹配）的数据。
159名参与者做出回应（平均年龄43（±5）岁）。156人（98%）报告在其职业生涯中曾有过髋部/腹股沟、膝盖、足部/脚踝或下背部损伤，其中104人（67%）报告有持续疼痛。与普通人群相比，参与者报告的髋部和膝盖状况更差（p<0.0001）。146人（92%）报告曾遭受一次或多次脑震荡。脑震荡史与神经认知评估得分低于平均水平相关。与普通人群数据相比，退役女性橄榄球运动员报告的焦虑（OR=0.079（95%CI 0.03至0.19））、抑郁（OR=0.67（95%CI 0.57至0.78））和痛苦（OR=0.17（95%CI 0.15至0.19））较少。闭经率高于匹配的对照组，绝经年龄更年轻。高血压患病率更高。橄榄球运动员认为他们在退役后的健康状况下降，并指出缺乏体育活动是主要原因。
我们的研究结果表明了筛查和监测的潜在价值，以及在运动员职业生涯中确定预防措施以促进其健康和长期生活质量的重要性。
