Prevalence of Injuries and Associated Factors among Marine Sports Participants: A Cross-Sectional Study

OBJECTIVES This study aimed to investigate the patterns, causes, and factors associated with injuries among marine sports participants.METHODS This cross-sectional study included 491 adult marine sports participants who completed a questionnaire survey. The questionnaire assessed demographic and participation characteristics, injury occurrence, the timing and circumstances of injuries, injury sites and types, post-injury management, and injury prevention practices.RESULTS Women reported a higher prevalence of injury than men, and injury prevalence increased with greater participation experience. Among the marine sports examined, surfing had the highest injury prevalence, whereas stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) had the lowest. Injuries were most frequently reported during summer, under clear weather conditions, in waves of 1-2 m, and in a gentle breeze. The lower extremities were the most affected body region, whereas the head was the least commonly affected. Skin injuries were the most frequently reported injury type, whereas spinal injuries were the least frequently reported. Among the individual factors contributing to injury, insufficient technical proficiency was the most reported. Rest and overthe-counter medications were the most frequently reported methods of post-injury management, indicating that participants tended to rely on self-management rather than professional medical care. Maintaining or improving concentration was the most frequently reported injury prevention practice. Factors associated with higher odds of injury included female sex, older age, more than one year of participation experience, participation three or more times per week, and participation in surfing. In contrast, sessions lasting more than 3 hours and participation in cruiser yachting were associated with lower odds of injury.CONCLUSIONS Marine sports injuries appear to be associated with a complex combination of individual, environmental, and behavioral factors. These findings may inform the development of sport-specific injury prevention strategies for marine sports participants.