Abstract

Most studies of sports-related injuries have been investigations of specific injuries resulting from specific, organized sports at the high school, collegeor professional level. This study documented all types of sports-related injuries received by all school-aged children in a midwestern community of 100,000 for a 1-year period. Public and private schools, community sports programs, hospital emergency rooms, the schools accident insurance company, and local physicians provided initial accident reports. Injuries were sustained by3 of all elementary school students, 7 of all junior high school (grades 7 and 8) students, and 11 of high school students. Nonorganized sports and physical education classes each produced nearly twice as many injuries as organized sports. One-fifth of the injuries were considered serious and none-fourthof all injuries could have been avoided had nominal safety precautions been observed. Verf.-Referat