Gilhooly Marese, Cahalan Roisin, O'Sullivan Kieran, Norton Catherine
School of Allied Health, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
Department of Sport and Health Science, Technological University of the Shannon, Athlone, Ireland.
PLoS One. 2025 Aug 4;20(8):e0329679. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0329679. eCollection 2025.
This study investigates athlete support personnel's (ASP) perspectives on injury reporting among elite ladies' Gaelic football and camogie players. ASP refers to individuals in coaching, management, and allied health and performance related practice.
A mixed-methods design was employed, comprising an online survey and follow-up interviews. Forty-two ASP, currently or recently (within two years) involved in elite ladies' Gaelic games, completed the survey. Eighteen ASP subsequently participated in semi-structured interviews. Quantitative survey data were analysed using frequency analysis, while interview transcripts were subjected to framework analysis.
A significant proportion of ASP (43%, n = 18) believe that players do not report all injuries. Most respondents (95%, n = 40) agreed that players often avoid reporting injuries to prevent losing playing time, while 95% (n = 40) cited player fear of being side-lined as a key factor. Furthermore, 93% (n = 39) agreed that players are more likely to report injuries when immediate access to medical personnel, such as team doctors or physiotherapists, is available. Notably, 66% (n = 28) disagreed with the perception that managers view players as weak for reporting injuries, while 19% (n = 8) agreed with this notion. Qualitative findings corroborated these results and identified three overarching themes influencing injury reporting: player factors, system-driven influences, and environmental conditions. Individual factors included a competitive environment that prioritised maintaining team position over health, with experienced players exhibiting greater confidence in reporting injuries compared to younger players, who often perceived management as hierarchical and less approachable. Immediate, consistent access to physiotherapists and other medical professionals was highlighted as a critical enabler of injury reporting. Trust in ASP, built through visible involvement and positive relationships, emerged as a key determinant. Additionally, a supportive team culture that prioritises player well-being alongside performance outcomes was identified as essential for encouraging open injury reporting.
Injury underreporting is a significant issue among elite ladies' Gaelic games players, driven by personal, system-level, and environmental factors. Of critical importance for teams and organisations is to provide education for players and ASP on the importance and value of injury reporting to support early and appropriate intervention. Concurrently providing improved medical access will help to foster stronger, trust-based relationships between players and ASP, considered crucial for improving injury reporting practices.
本研究调查了运动员支持人员（ASP）对精英女子盖尔式足球和女子曲棍球运动员伤病报告的看法。ASP是指从事教练、管理以及与健康和表现相关的辅助工作的人员。
采用混合方法设计，包括在线调查和后续访谈。42名目前或最近（两年内）参与精英女子盖尔式比赛的ASP完成了调查。随后，18名ASP参与了半结构化访谈。定量调查数据采用频率分析进行分析，访谈记录则进行框架分析。
相当一部分ASP（43%，n = 18）认为运动员并未报告所有伤病情况。大多数受访者（95%，n = 40）同意运动员经常避免报告伤病以防止失去上场时间，而95%（n = 40）提到运动员担心被边缘化是一个关键因素。此外，93%（n = 39）同意当运动员能够立即接触到医务人员，如队医或物理治疗师时，他们更有可能报告伤病。值得注意的是，66%（n = 28）不同意管理人员认为运动员报告伤病就是软弱的看法，而19%（n = 8）同意这一观点。定性研究结果证实了这些结果，并确定了影响伤病报告的三个总体主题：运动员因素、系统驱动的影响和环境条件。个人因素包括一个将保持团队位置置于健康之上的竞争环境，经验丰富的运动员在报告伤病方面比年轻运动员表现出更大的信心，年轻运动员通常认为管理层等级森严且难以接近。能够立即、持续地接触物理治疗师和其他医疗专业人员被强调为伤病报告的关键促成因素。通过可见的参与和积极的关系建立起来的对ASP的信任，成为一个关键决定因素。此外，一种将运动员福祉与成绩结果并重的支持性团队文化被认为对于鼓励公开的伤病报告至关重要。
伤病报告不足是精英女子盖尔式比赛运动员中的一个重要问题，由个人、系统层面和环境因素驱动。对于团队和组织来说，至关重要的是要对运动员和ASP进行教育，让他们了解伤病报告的重要性和价值，以支持早期和适当的干预。同时，改善医疗服务的可及性将有助于在运动员和ASP之间建立更牢固、基于信任的关系，这被认为对于改善伤病报告做法至关重要。
