Epidemiology of Sports-Related Musculoskeletal Injuries Among University Athletes in Lagos State

Sports-related musculoskeletal injuries impose a considerable burden on university athletes, often interrupting academic performance and long-term athletic careers. This cross-sectional descriptive study investigates the epidemiology of such injuries among competitive student athletes at three selected universities in Lagos State, South West Nigeria, namely the University of Lagos, Lagos State University, and Caleb University. A structured questionnaire and clinical screening tool will be administered to 300 athletes across football, basketball, athletics, and swimming disciplines. Data collected will encompass injury type, anatomical location, mechanism, sport discipline, training frequency, use of protective equipment, and access to sports medicine care. The knee, ankle, and shoulder are anticipated to emerge as the most frequently injured regions, consistent with findings from recent studies in West African university settings. Logistic regression will be used to identify predictors of injury occurrence, including training load and prior injury history. Results will be shared with university sports directors and coaching staff to facilitate evidence-based injury prevention strategies. The study is particularly timely given the recent expansion of university sports programmes in Lagos and the limited integration of sports medicine professionals into university athletic departments. This research fills a local data gap and supports the development of a contextually relevant injury surveillance framework for Nigerian university sports. Keywords: sports injuries, musculoskeletal trauma, university athletes, Lagos, injury epidemiology.