Descriptive-Analytical Study of Risk Factors and Prevention Strategies

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the prevalence of sports injuries among secondary school students, identify the most common types, and examine the main associated risk factors, while highlighting the role of preventive strategies in reducing their occurrence. A descriptive-analytical approach was adopted on a sample of 150 students, using structured questionnaires and field observations. Data were analyzed through descriptive statistics and correlation analysis.

The results showed that ankle sprains were the most common injuries (25.3%), followed by finger injuries (17.3%) and hamstring strains (13.3%), in addition to lower back pain (12.0%) and contusions (10.7%), along with other minor injuries (21.3%). The findings also indicated that males were more prone to injuries than females, and that students practicing sports outside school had higher injury rates. Furthermore, the comparison between groups revealed a decrease in injury rates in the group benefiting from the program (1.00 vs. 1.70), along with improvements in preventive awareness (8.4 vs. 5.3) and motor performance (17.0 vs. 14.0). Statistical analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between program implementation and preventive awareness (r = 0.69, p < 0.01), as well as a negative correlation between preventive awareness and injury rates (r = -0.65, p < 0.01). These findings emphasize that adopting preventive strategies such as proper warm-up, awareness, and well-organized physical education sessions contributes to reducing injuries and improving physical performance.