2024 Volume 2 Issue 1 Pages 22-31
Objective: Our research is to examine early sports specialization in Japan and its association with the risk of acute and overuse injuries.
Methods: Female college students with sports experience were administered a questionnaire assessing their history of sports participation, level of specialization, number of active days, and previous medical history at different ages: 1st-3rd grade elementary school, 4th-6th grade elementary school, junior high school, and high school.
Results: The proportion of respondents who indicated a “high” level of specialization increased with age, and there were significant differences among the age groups, except between junior high school and high school. The proportion of those active for >8 months in a year also increased with age, with over95 % of junior high and high school students being active for >8 months in a year. Prevalence of acute injuries increased with increasing specialization in all age groups, and for overuse injuries, it was prominent among students in grades 1‒3, 4‒6 and high school.
Conclusion: In Japan, the frequency of sports participation remains high throughout the year, starting from elementary school age. Moreover, we observed an association was observed between a high level of sports specialization and a higher risk of acute and overuse injuries.
