Epidemiology of Sports Injuries Among Secondary School Athletes in Benue State

Understanding the epidemiology of sports injuries among secondary school athletes is a prerequisite for developing effective prevention strategies and appropriate healthcare provisions within school sports programmes. This study examines the incidence, type, body site distribution, causative factors, and consequences of sports injuries among secondary school athletes in Benue State, North Central Nigeria. A prospective cohort design was employed, with 340 student athletes from 15 secondary schools participating in interschool competitions monitored over a 12-month academic sports season. Injury data were collected using a structured injury surveillance form completed by school sports masters and attending health personnel at competition venues. Injuries are defined as any physical complaint resulting in absence from training or competition for at least one day. Findings reveal an overall injury incidence rate of 24.3 injuries per 100 athlete-exposures across the monitoring period. Football and athletics record the highest injury rates. Soft tissue injuries, including muscle strains and ligament sprains, account for 61 percent of all injuries, with lower limb injuries comprising 54 percent of reported cases. Primary causative factors include inadequate warm-up practices, playing on uneven surfaces, and absence of sports medicine personnel at competition venues. Injury consequences include an average of 8.4 days of training and competition absence per injury. Recommendations include mandatory structured warm-up protocols, sports medicine coverage at competition events, and first aid training for school sports masters. Keywords: sports injuries, epidemiology, secondary school athletes, Benue State, injury prevention