Musculoskeletal Injury and Associated Factors in South Gondar Zone Volleyball Players, Ethiopia

Abstract

A retrospective study in the South Gondar zone of Amhara, Ethiopia, during 2021/2022 aimed to investigate the prevalence and associated factors of musculoskeletal injuries among the region's burgeoning population of volleyball players, who are noted to be highly vulnerable due to insufficient protective equipment, unsuitable playing areas, and inadequate medical facilities. The study involved a total of 360 volleyball players (195 from projects and 165 from clubs), with an overall mean age of 18.54±3.27 years, though club players were significantly older (20.34±2.78 years) than project players (15.42±1.92 years). Over the study period, the sample reported 62 total injuries, indicating that the frequency of injury was high, even though 82.78% of the players did not sustain an injury. Club players accounted for a slightly higher rate of injuries (54.84% or 34/62) compared to project players (45.16% or 28/62), but statistical analysis showed no significant difference between the two groups (p=0.1194). Crucially, the overall risk of injury was significantly higher during match play than during training, with a probability of injury at 12.78% during matches versus 4.44% during training. This meant players were about 2.9 times more likely to be injured during a match than during training (p=0.0002). According to physician diagnoses, the most frequent sites of injury were the ankles (56.45% or 35/62) and fingers (22.58% or 14/62), followed by the shoulder (8.06%), thumb (6.54%), and both the knee and Achilles tendon (3.23% each), underscoring the specific high-risk body parts for this population and concluding that targeted interventions are urgently needed to mitigate the high injury rates, particularly by focusing on match-day safety and common injury sites.