Prevalence and risk factors of running-related injuries in Korean non-elite runners: a cross-sectional survey study

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Due to the lack of consensus definition of running-related injuries, the prevalence and incidence of running-related injuries had been reported to vary between 19% and 92%. Moreover, the epidemiology of running-related injuries in Asian populations has been rarely investigated. The purpose of this study was to use the consensus definition of running-related injuries and investigate the epidemiology of running-related injuries in a Korean population. METHODS: Using the cross-sectional design, an online survey was circulated among various running communities in Korea. The questionnaire contained information on the presence and location of pain attributed to running, demographic characteristics, weekly running mileage, participation in high-intensity training, running pace, the longest running event participated, the type of shoes, foot strike, the reason for running, and exercise experience prior to running. RESULTS: Among 1046 runners (male=624, female 422) who responded, 94.7% experienced pain while running, but only 37% were categorized as having running-related injuries. The most common site of injury was the knee followed by the ankle. Exercise experience prior to running (OR=1.57 95% CI: 1.13-2.21), setting specific running goals (OR-1.57 95% CI: 1.08-2.27), increases in weekly running mileage (OR=1.66 95% CI: 1.05-2.62), and the longest running event participated (OR 2.15 95% CI: 1.22-4.05) were associated with significant increases in running-related injuries. CONCLUSIONS: To avoid running-related injuries, runners should be careful when increasing weekly mileage. Moreover, runners with previous exercise experience may need to approach running more cautiously. Setting goals and pursuing longer-distance running events may be motivating, but at the same time, can increase the risk of running-related injuries.