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Differences in sports activity participation and sports safety awareness based on the severity of an injury experienced among Korean men
1Department of Sports Science, Incheon National University, 22012 Incheon-si, Republic of Korea
2Department of Sports Medicine, Korea National University of Transportation, 27469 Chungju-si, Republic of Korea
3Department of Physical Education, College of Education, Seowon University, 28674 Cheongju-si, Republic of Korea
*Corresponding Author(s):wowso@ut.ac.kr (Wi-Young So); pelej@seowon.ac.kr (Eui-Jae Lee)
† These authors contributed equally.
| History | Submitted: 23 May 2024 | Accepted: 08 August 2024 | Published: 30 September 2024 |
| Copyright: | ©2024 The Author(s). Published by MRE Press. |
This study aimed to identify differences in sports participation and sports safety awareness based on the severity of an injury experienced among Korean men. To achieve this, the data of 1484 men were extracted from the 2019 Sports Safety Accident Survey conducted by the Korea Sports Safety Foundation. We used data on the characteristics of the study population, variables related to sports participation (exercise frequency, duration, the use of dedicated sports facilities and the duration of injury treatment), and variables related to sports safety awareness (the awareness of sports safety rules, perceived importance of sports safety, completion of injury prevention training, and purchase of insurance with injury coverage). The collected data were analyzed using frequency analysis, one-way analysis of variance and Tukey’s test (post-hoc test). The results showed that no differences existed in exercise frequency and duration depending on the severity of the injury experienced (p > 0.05), but there were differences in the use of dedicated sports facilities (p = 0.010) and the duration of injury treatment (p < 0.001). The results also showed that there were differences in the awareness of sports safety rules (p = 0.004), perceived importance of sports safety (p < 0.001), completion of injury prevention training (p < 0.001), and purchase of insurance with injury coverage (p < 0.001). Overall, the results showed that the severity of the injury experienced affects sports safety awareness among men who have experienced injuries. There is a need to provide education on sports safety and implement programs on sports injuries and sports safety to increase awareness of sports safety, especially among men who have not experienced a sports injury.
Cite this article
Sung-Zoon Zae, Wi-Young So, Eui-Jae Lee. Differences in sports activity participation and sports safety awareness based on the severity of an injury experienced among Korean men. Journal of Men's Health. 2024; 20(9): 32-38. doi: 10.22514/jomh.2024.146
1. Introduction
Having a good experience and perception of sports during adolescence encourages individuals to continue participating in sports as adults [1]. In countries like Germany, Japan and the United States, school physical education includes daily physical activities to foster participation in physical activities during adolescence, and, consequently, lifelong participation in sports [2, 3, 4, 5]. However, a relevant factor in long-term participation in sports is physical health [6]. Often, individuals suffer injuries while exercising. In the case of a minor injury, it is easy to return to exercise. However, in the case of a serious injury, it may be difficult to return. If an injury prevents participation in sports, these policy efforts and support will be of no use [7, 8, 9]. In the Republic of Korea, school sports clubs began to be active in elementary, middle and high schools in 2008, and various types of sports for adolescents are actively being made available [10].
For this reason, sports safety is being actively researched. Studies have suggested that with more participation in sports, there is a higher possibility of injuries not only in athletes but also among individuals who play sports recreationally [11, 12, 13]. Many studies have investigated why unintentional injuries occur in sports [14, 15]. They have shown that the occurrence of these injuries varies depending on the participants’ degree of safety awareness and how well safety rules are followed [16, 17]. Currently, studies are being conducted to identify methods and strategies for preventing sports injuries [18, 19]. Overall, the need for sports safety is apparent. This issue transcends individual interest, as it is of national interest. Adams et al. [20] asserted that, for athletes to participate in sports consistently and safely, the government must implement policies, increase awareness and educate citizens about sports safety. Kim and Lee conducted a case study on sports safety management at an American university and reported that safety education should be regularly provided to students to prevent injuries [21]. Additionally, they suggested that quick deployment of medical personnel can help manage emergencies effectively. Consequently, there has been a growing interest in sports safety education [22].
Sports injuries can be mild, allowing the individual to participate in sports within one or two weeks. Some injuries, such as sprains and ligamentous injuries, can delay one’s return to sports activities for four to eight weeks. Meanwhile, serious injuries can cause a delay of 12 weeks or more [6, 8, 9]. Participating in sports at a dedicated sports facility can be an important factor in injury occurrence. Exercise frequency and duration are also variables that are closely related to the occurrence of injuries, as the more one participates in exercise, the more likely one is to suffer an injury. In addition, various factors related to sports safety awareness can have an impact on the prevention of injuries. For instance, the perception of safety rules, how important sports safety is considered, and receiving injury prevention education can impact injury prevention [23]. Anyone can participate in sports, regardless of sex. However, research on students at an African university shows that basketball sports participation and sports injury occurrences tend to be higher in males than in females [24].
This study analyzed whether sports participation and sports safety awareness differ based on the severity of the injury experienced among adult men. With this objective, we aimed to explore sports injuries and identify ways to prevent them. This study was conducted based on data from a survey on the actual condition of sports activities and sports safety awareness conducted by the Korea Sports Safety Foundation controlled by Korean Sports Council. The elements of these safety rules are data developed by the Korean Sports Council and consist of sports participation, safety awareness and safety accidents, and various safety-related studies that were being conducted every year through this survey [6, 16, 25, 26]. We determined differences in sports participation by investigating differences in exercise frequency, exercise duration, the use of dedicated sports facilities, and the duration of injury treatment based on the severity of the injury experienced. Differences in sports safety awareness were determined by investigating differences in the awareness of sports safety rules, perceived importance of sports safety, the completion of injury prevention training, and purchase of insurance with injury coverage. Accordingly, we posited the following research hypotheses.
Hypothesis 1. Exercise frequency, exercise duration, the use of dedicated sports facilities, and the duration of injury treatment differ depending on the severity of the injury experienced among adult men.
Hypothesis 2. The awareness of sports safety rules, perceived importance of sports safety, completion of injury prevention training and purchase of insurance with injury coverage differ depending on the severity of the injury experienced among adult men.
2. Materials and methods
2.1 Data collection
The data used in this study were obtained from the 2019 Sports Safety Accident Survey conducted by the Korea Sports Safety Foundation. The Korea Sports Safety Foundation investigates the status of sports injuries and determines their number and types based on the collected data. The 2019 survey was conducted from 20 September 2019, to 24 December 2019. It was administered to a nationally representative group of Korean men over the age of 20 years and investigated sports participation, sports safety awareness, and the severity of the injury experienced. We used the data of 1454 men in the Republic of Korea who had participated in the 2019 Sports Safety Accident Survey.
2.2 Variables
Among all questions in the Sports Safety Accident Survey, we selected those that fit the purpose of this study. We collected data on the characteristics of the study population, such as age, education level and household income. Regarding sports participation, we collected data on exercise frequency, exercise duration, the use of dedicated sports facilities and the duration of injury treatment. Regarding sports safety awareness, we collected data on the awareness of sports safety rules, perceived importance of sports safety, completion of injury prevention training and purchase of insurance with injury coverage. Table 1 presents the variables for which we collected data from the 2019 Sports Safety Accident Survey. It also presents the questions that were used to measure the variables.
| Variable | Question |
| Age (yr) | What is your chronological age? |
| Education level | What is your educational level? |
| Household income | What is your average monthly household income? |
| Exercise frequency | How often do you engage in sports activities (or exercise)? |
| Exercise duration (min/session) | On average, how much time do you spend performing a sports activity (or exercising)? |
| Use of dedicated sports facilities | Where do you usually engage in your sports activities (or exercise)? |
| Severity of the injury experienced | Have you ever experienced an injury during sports activities (or exercise)? |
| Duration of injury treatment | How long did it take for the injury to heal to the point where sports activities (or exercise) were not affected? |
| Awareness of sports safety rules | How much do you know about the safety rules of the sport (or exercise) you participate in? |
| Perceived importance of sports safety | How important do you think safety is during sports activities (or exercise)? |
| Completion of injury prevention training | Have you ever completed training on dealing with accidents or preventing injuries during sports activities? |
| Purchase of insurance with injury coverage | Do you have insurance or deductibles against sports (or exercise) injuries? |
2.3 Data analysis
Frequency analysis was performed to determine the characteristics of the study population. One-way analyses of variance were conducted to test the hypotheses. Subsequently, Tukey’s tests were performed as post-hoc tests. A total of 1454 men were surveyed in the 2019 Sports Safety Accident Survey. The central limit theorem asserts that if a sample includes more than 30 measurements, the data has an approximately normal distribution and is reliable. Therefore, this study can be considered to have reliability and validity [27]. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS (version 22.0; IBM Co., Armonk, NY, USA).
3. Results
3.1 Characteristics of the study population
Table 2 presents the characteristics of the study population. The average age was 42.65 ± 12.70 years. Most men had a college-level or higher education (87.7%). Many men had a household income (monthly) of USD 5000 or more (32.7%). Regarding the experience of injuries, mild injuries were the highest in number (37.5%), while 28.5% of the men had not suffered an injury. Regarding sports participation, most men exercised less than once a week (52%). On average, they exercised for 90.05 ± 69.32 minutes per session. Furthermore, most men used a dedicated sports facility to engage in sports activities (62.9%), and the injuries of many men healed in a week (29.7%). Regarding sports safety awareness, many men were somewhat aware of sports safety rules (48.6%). Most men considered sports safety very important (51%) and had not completed injury prevention training (87.6%) or purchased insurance with injury coverage (80.3%).
| Variable | Categories | Frequency (percentage) or mean ± standard deviation |
| Age (yr) | 42.65 ± 12.70 | |
| Education level | ||
| Middle school | 6 (0.4%) | |
| High school | 173 (11.9%) | |
| College or above | 1275 (87.7%) | |
| Household income (monthly) | ||
| Less than USD 1000 | 122 (8.4%) | |
| USD 1000 to less than USD 2000 | 94 (6.5%) | |
| USD 2000 to less than USD 3000 | 243 (16.7%) | |
| USD 3000 to less than USD 4000 | 274 (18.8%) | |
| USD 4000 to less than USD 5000 | 245 (16.9%) | |
| USD 5000 or more | 476 (32.7%) | |
| Exercise frequency | ||
| Everyday | 175 (12.0%) | |
| 4–6 d/wk | 78 (5.4%) | |
| 2–3 d/wk | 246 (16.9%) | |
| 1 d/wk | 199 (13.7%) | |
| Less than 1 d/wk | 756 (52.0%) | |
| Exercise duration (min/session) | 90.05 ± 69.32 | |
| Use of dedicated sports facilities | ||
| Yes | 914 (62.9%) | |
| No | 540 (37.1%) | |
| Severity of the injury experienced | ||
| Severe | 91 (6.3%) | |
| Moderate | 404 (27.8%) | |
| Mild | 545 (37.5%) | |
| No injury experienced | 414 (28.5%) | |
| Duration of injury treatment | ||
| No injury experienced | 414 (28.5%) | |
| 1 week | 432 (29.7%) | |
| 2–3 weeks | 365 (25.1%) | |
| 4–7 weeks | 126 (8.7%) | |
| 8 weeks or more | 117 (8.0%) | |
| Awareness of sports safety rules | ||
| Not at all aware | 14 (1.0%) | |
| Slightly aware | 196 (13.5%) | |
| Somewhat aware | 706 (48.6%) | |
| Moderately aware | 485 (33.4%) | |
| Extremely aware | 53 (3.6%) | |
| Perceived importance of sports safety | ||
| Not at all important | 1 (0.1%) | |
| Slightly important | 4 (0.3%) | |
| Somewhat important | 204 (14.0%) | |
| Very important | 742 (51.0%) | |
| Extremely important | 503 (34.6%) | |
| Completion of injury prevention training | ||
| Yes | 180 (12.4%) | |
| No | 1274 (87.6%) | |
| Purchase of insurance with injury coverage | ||
| Yes | 286 (19.7%) | |
| No | 1168 (80.3%) |
3.2 Differences in sports activity participation based on the severity of the injury experienced among Korean men
Table 3 presents the differences in sports participation based on the severity of the injury experienced among Korean men. No differences were found in exercise frequency and duration (p > 0.05). However, the use of dedicated sports facilities (p = 0.010) and duration of injury treatment (p < 0.001) differed significantly.
| Variable | Severity of the injury experienced (n = 1454) | F | p | |||
| Severe (n = 91) | Moderate (n = 404) | Mild(n = 545) | No injury experienced (n = 414) | |||
| Exercise frequency (5-point Likert scale) | 3.79 ± 1.37 | 3.96 ± 1.29 | 3.90 ± 1.43 | 3.81 ± 1.49 | 0.923 | 0.429 |
| Exercise duration (min/session) | 97.14 ± 69.32 | 90.49 ± 66.29 | 91.24 ± 72.09 | 86.52 ± 68.55 | 0.734 | 0.532 |
| Use of dedicated sports facilities (2-point Likert scale) | 1.30 ± 0.46 | 1.32 ± 0.47 | 1.39 ± 0.49 | 1.42 ± 0.49 | 3.779 | 0.010* |
| Duration of injury treatment (5-point Likert scale) | 3.18 ± 1.00 | 2.07 ± 0.97### | 1.62 ± 0.81### | 0.00 ± 0.00### | 768.367 | <0.001*** |
| Data are presented as mean ± standard deviation. * and *** denote p < 0.05 and p < 0.001, respectively; tested using one-way analysis of variance. ###denotes p < 0.001; tested using Tukey’s test (post-hoc test) by comparing with the severe injury group. |
3.3 Differences in sports safety awareness based on the severity of an injury experienced among Korean men
Table 4 presents the differences in sports safety awareness based on the severity of the injury experienced among Korean men. Significant differences were found in the awareness of sports safety rules (p = 0.004), perceived importance of sports safety (p < 0.001), completion of injury prevention training (p < 0.001), and purchase of insurance with injury coverage (p < 0.001).
| Variable | Severity of the injury experienced (n = 1454) | F | p | |||
| Severe (n = 91) | Moderate (n = 404) | Mild (n = 545) | No injury experiences (n = 414) | |||
| Awareness of sports safety rules (5-point Likert scale) | 3.54 ± 0.91 | 3.24 ± 0.76## | 3.23 ± 0.71## | 3.23 ± 0.81## | 4.541 | 0.004** |
| Perceived importance of sports safety (5-point Likert scale) | 4.46 ± 0.67 | 4.23 ± 0.68# | 4.20 ± 0.66## | 4.11 ± 0.70### | 7.299 | <0.001*** |
| Completion of injury prevention training (2-point Likert scale) | 1.82 ± 0.38 | 1.81 ± 0.39 | 1.90 ± 0.30 | 1.92 ± 0.27# | 10.104 | <0.001*** |
| Purchase of insurance with injury coverage | 1.77 ± 0.42 | 1.72 ± 0.45 | 1.82 ± 0.38 | 1.87 ± 0.34 | 11.117 | <0.001*** |
| Data are presented as mean ± standard deviation. ** and *** denote p < 0.01 and p < 0.001, respectively; tested using one-way analysis of variance. #, ## and ### denote p < 0.05, p < 0.01 and p < 0.001, respectively; tested using Tukey’s test (post-hoc test) by comparing with the severe injury group. |
4. Discussion
This study investigated whether sports participation and sports safety awareness differed based on the severity of the injury experienced among Korean men. We obtained several insightful results. First, we found there are some differences in sports participation based on the presence or absence of sports injuries and the degree of injury experienced. Men who had severe sports injuries had more injuries when they exercised in sports-specific facilities than when they exercised in other facilities. In contrast, minor injuries occurred more frequently exercising in facilities not exclusively meant for sports activities. These results support previous studies showing that elite athletes experience more serious injuries than individuals who play sports recreationally and that elite athletes have a greater awareness of sports safety [15, 28]. We also found that the more severe the injury, the longer it takes to return to activity. However, this result is difficult to generalize because previous studies have shown that it is difficult to return to sports activities, even if the injury is moderate or mild [7, 8].
Second, we found differences in the awareness of sports safety rules, perceived importance of sports safety, completion of injury prevention training and purchase of insurance with injury coverage based on the severity of an injury experienced among Korean men. It is noteworthy that men who had a high degree of sports safety awareness experienced severe sports injuries. This result contradicts the results of previous studies showing that having a high degree of sports safety awareness can help prevent injuries [22, 29, 30]. In the current study, the population consisted of men who were not professional athletes but rather men who played sports recreationally. Possibly recreational athletes participate in sports less often or for a shorter duration than professional athletes, but over 30% of our study population participated in sports more than twice a week. Our study population reported long-term (rather than short-term) participation in sports activities, with an average exercise duration of 90 minutes per session. We believe that our finding is reasonable, considering that more frequent or longer exercising increases the exposure to a potential injury.
Sports safety is important not just for athletes; it is important for everyone. Jo et al. [16] demonstrated that a higher awareness of sports safety, higher intention to complete safety education and sports safety awareness mediates the relationship between sports habits and the completion of sports safety education. Thus, for anyone participating in sports, an awareness of sports safety can encourage continued participation in sports. Many developed countries are emphasizing sports injury prevention and are conducting policy research to prevent sports injuries [31, 32, 33]. Attention should also be given to providing opportunities for education about sports injury prevention. For this, the findings from research on sports injury prevention in developed countries can be referenced and disseminated to other countries. Guidance and information dissemination helps underdeveloped countries become interested not only in sports participation but also in sports safety and sports injury prevention.
This study had several limitations. First, this study examined differences in the sports participation and sports safety awareness of Korean men depending on the severity of the injury they experienced. However, there is a dearth of comparative studies on this topic among countries in Asia, Europe, America and South America. Future studies should compare countries on this topic. Second, this survey was conducted in 2019, so predictive models were used with data collected 5 years ago. The Sports Safety Accident Survey in the Republic of Korea is conducted every 5 years, the next survey will be conducted between September 2024 and December 2024. This data will be available to all researchers in late 2025, so the 2019 Sports Safety Accident Survey is the most recent data in the Republic of Korea. Although this survey was conducted in 2019, it has the advantage of providing basic data that can identify the status and causes of sports safety injuries and suggest related policy directions. Despite the passage of time, research using the raw data from the 2019 Sports Safety Accident Survey is actively underway [6, 16]. Third, participation in sports and awareness of sports safety can vary between countries based on their economic situation. Therefore, to engage safely in sports, more research must be conducted on sports safety. In addition, having a good awareness of sports safety from adolescence can encourage sports participation in adulthood. Moreover, a study by Cho et al. [10] revealed that school sports clubs were actively engaging Korean adolescent in sports, and this could have a positive effect for psychosocial and behavioral health. Therefore, a follow-up study should be conducted on the sports participation and sports safety awareness of adolescents. This study holds significance because it studied 1454 men from across South Korea and its findings are representative of the differences in sports participation and sports safety awareness of the men of the Republic of Korea based on the severity of an injury.
5. Conclusions
No differences exist in the exercise frequency or duration of Korean men based on the severity of an injury. However, there are differences in the use of dedicated sports facilities and the duration of injury treatment. There are also differences in the awareness of sports safety rules, perceived importance of sports safety, completion of sports safety training and purchase of insurance with injury coverage. Overall, the results suggest that the presence and severity of injuries affect the awareness of sports safety among men who have experienced injuries. Based on these results, we suggest that education on sports safety awareness and programs on sports injuries and sports safety should be implemented nationwide to increase sports safety awareness, especially among men who have not suffered a sports injury [34].
Availability of data and materials
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Author contributions
SZZ—conceptualization; methodology; data collection; formal analysis; investigation; project administration; writing—original draft preparation. WYS—methodology; data collection; writing—review and editing; visualization; validation; supervision. EJL—methodology; data collection; writing—review and editing; data collection; formal analysis; investigation. All authors contributed to editorial changes in the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Ethics approval and consent to participate
The 2019 Sports Safety Accident Survey did not collect identifier information such as home addresses, telephone numbers, and social security numbers, ethical approval was not required and was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. All participants were informed about the study procedure and its purpose and voluntarily signed an informed consent form.
Acknowledgment
Not applicable.
Funding
This research received no external funding.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest. Wi-Young So is serving as one of the Editorial Board members of this journal. We declare that Wi-Young So had no involvement in the peer review of this article and has no access to information regarding its peer review. Full responsibility for the editorial process for this article was delegated to DM.
