{"id":11883,"date":"2026-04-24T06:00:26","date_gmt":"2026-04-24T05:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bjsm\/?p=11883"},"modified":"2026-04-21T10:24:55","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T09:24:55","slug":"rethinking-injury-risk-why-injury-prevention-in-sport-needs-a-gender-and-sex-specific-lens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bjsm\/2026\/04\/24\/rethinking-injury-risk-why-injury-prevention-in-sport-needs-a-gender-and-sex-specific-lens\/","title":{"rendered":"Rethinking injury risk: Why injury prevention in sport needs a gender-and sex-specific lens"},"content":{"rendered":"

For female\/woman\/girl athletes social, cultural and environment factors, alongside biological factors, may shape how injuries happen. This blog summarises a recent study that asked experts what could influence injury risk [1]. The study informed part of the\u00a0 International Olympic Committee Female, woman, and girl Athlete Injury pRrevention (FAIR) Consensus recommendationsm [2] on changes that could reduce injury risk and create safer, more equitable sporting environments.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Why is this study important?<\/h3>\n

Female\/woman\/girl athletes are playing more sport than ever before, but with rising injury rates. We don\u2019t fully understand why injuries are happening, because most studies don\u2019t include enough female\/woman\/girl athletes or adequately report sex and gender differences [3]. There are also too few studies that include the expert voices of those within the female\/woman\/girl sporting environment, such as athletes, coaches, support staff, practitioners, administrators and researchers [4].\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Injury risk is complex and can be shaped by biology (e.g. hormones and anatomy) and gendered factors (like social expectations, access to good coaching, and the quality of training environments). These factors interact in real life, but research has rarely explored them together. This study is important because it aimed to bring together the expert voices of those actively involved in female\/woman\/girl sport and to explore the key sex-and gender-related factors that they believe affect injury risk. By understanding these factors, we can design injury prevention interventions and implementation strategies that are relevant, fairer, and more effective for female\/woman\/girl athletes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How did the study go about this?<\/h3>\n

This study used a mixed-methods concept-mapping approach \u2014 a structured process combining participants ideas and perspectives with sorting and rating activities, to visually organise and prioritise concepts related to female\/woman\/girl injury risk. A panel of 66 experts \u2013 including athletes, coaches, carers, clinicians, sports-science and high-performance professionals, administrators and researchers \u2013 were asked to respond to the prompt: \u2018<\/span>What gender- and\/or sex-specific factors do you think contribute to injury risk among female, woman and girl athletes?\u2019<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

What did the study find?<\/h3>\n

Participants were mostly cisgender females (85%) and white (74%), from six continents, with 23% from low- or middle-income countries. 8% identified as living with a disability.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Participants brainstormed, sorted and rated 101 statements about gender- and sex-specific factors contributing to injury risk. The ideas were grouped into 10 clusters spanning biological, social and organisational themes including:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Lack of organisational funding and support\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Limited resources for athletes\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Insufficient knowledge and expertise among support staff<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Poor implementation or evidence for sex\/gender appropriate injury prevention<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. Biological\/sex-related factors (e.g. anatomy, hormones)\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  6. Gendered health issues\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  7. Pressure to meet athletic ideals shaped by gender norms\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  8. Exposure to harassment, bias, or unequal treatment\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  9. Sports environments structured in ways that disadvantage women and girls\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  10. Gendered communication around injury and health\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \u2018Insufficient knowledge among support staff\u2019 was seen as the most important and modifiable cluster.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Take home messages<\/h3>\n

    Preventing injuries in female\/woman\/girl athletes requires a major shift in focus \u2014 it is not enough to look at biological factors alone. This study highlights that female\/woman\/girl athlete injury risk is also shaped by social, cultural, and structural factors. Reducing injury risk for female\/woman\/girl athletes requires a collaborative and multi-level approach involving the prioritisation of research, leadership, funding and policy from sporting organisations across all sport levels including:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n