P0190 - The Effects of In-Season Injury on Quality of Life Among Female High School Volleyball Athletes

Purpose:
Despite growing awareness of the potential psychosocial impacts of injuries, minimal data exists regarding the effects of injury on quality of life (QOL) in youth athletes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of in-season injury on QOL among female high school volleyball players.

Methods:
1368 female volleyball athletes from 80 high schools reported QOL (school function, social function, emotional function, physical function, psychosocial function and total QOL) before and after the season. In-season injuries were recorded by school athletic trainers and mixed effects models were used to compare changes in QOL for all athletes, as well as between 1) injured and uninjured athletes and 2) injured athletes that returned to play and those with season ending injuries and 3) injured athletes with low, moderate, or high specialization. All models were adjusted for age and prior injury.

Results:
295 time-loss injuries were identified in 187 athletes, of which 33 injuries were season-ending. From pre-season to post-season, QOL decreased significantly for the entire group with respect to total QOL (91.2 [95% CI: 90-92] v 88.2 [88-89], p < 0.001), physical function (90.4 [90-91] v 89.6 [89-90], p = 0.016), emotional function (86.2 [86-87] v 85.3 [85-86], p = 0.035), school function (94.8 [94-96] v 83.3 [84-84], p < 0.001) and psychosocial function (91.9 [91-92] v 87.6 [87-88], p < 0.001). Compared to uninjured athletes, injured athletes had greater in-season decreases in total QOL (beta= -2.0, p = 0.01) and school function (beta= -1.1, p = 0.048). Among injured athletes, those with a season ending injury had significantly greater decreases in QOL than those that returned to play with respect to total QOL (beta= -5.4, p = 0.008) and physical function (beta= -14.0, p < 0.001).

Conclusion:
Among female high school volleyball athletes, in-season injury was associated with significant decreases in total QOL as well as school function. Athletes who suffered season-ending injuries had particularly large decreases in QOL, particularly with respect to physical function. Healthcare providers should be aware of these effects in helping athletes recover from both the physical and psychosocial impacts of injury.