Page 11 - Safe Wrestling

The Importance of Injury-Preventive Behaviour

• ‘youth sport’ AND ‘injury prevention’
• ‘wrestling’ OR ‘combat sports’ AND ‘injury epidemiology’
• ‘neuromuscular training’ AND ‘adolescent athletes’
• ‘coach education’ AND ‘injury prevention’
• ‘female athletes’ AND ‘injury risk’

Time Frame and Eligibility Criteria
The literature search focused primarily on publications published be-
tween 2008 and 2025, reflecting the period during which substantial ad-
vances have occurred in the fields of youth sport injury prevention, neu-
romuscular training, and implementation science. Earlier seminal stud-
ies were included where necessary to support foundational theoretical
models or epidemiological frameworks that continue to influence con-
temporary research.
The inclusion criteria were as follows:

1. peer-reviewed journal articles published in English;
2. studies involving children, adolescents, or youth sport populations
aged 6-18 years;
3. research addressing injury incidence, risk factors, preventive inter-
ventions, or implementation strategies;
4. studies relevant to contact, collision, or combat sports, with a spe-
cific emphasis on wrestling where available.

The exclusion criteria included:
1. case reports lacking broader analytical relevance;
2. studies focusing exclusively on adult elite athletes without transfer-
able implications for youth populations;
3. publications lacking methodological transparency or clear rele-
vance to injury prevention.
Analytical Framework and Thematic Synthesis
The analysis followed a multi-level thematic framework reflecting the
complexity of injury-preventive behaviour in youth sport. Three interre-
lated analytical dimensions guided the synthesis:

1. Biomechanical and Physiological Dimension. This dimension ad-
dressed the physical determinants of injury risk, including neuro-
muscular control, movement quality, strength development, fatigue,
and growth-related vulnerability. Evidence derived from epidemi-
ological studies and intervention trials was synthesised to identify

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