1. Introduction
Saudi, injuries
COMMUNICABLE DISEASES
Encouraging physical activity (PA) for adolescents is necessary to achieve and maintain optimal health, but it may increase the risk of PA-related injuries. This study sought to assess the frequency, location, type, and severity of PA-related injuries in Saudi students aged 13 to 18 years and to identify associated risk factors. A total of 402 students, including 206 boys aged 15.87 ± 1.69 years and 196 girls aged 15.83 ± 1.70 years, were randomly assigned to participate in this study. For each participant, height, weight, body mass index, and fat percentage were measured. Responses to a specially designed four-part self-administered questionnaire were also collected. Results revealed that better specific knowledge was associated with a lower likelihood of sustaining injuries (β = −0.136; Physical activity (PA) participation helps maintain and improve a person’s physical, social, and mental health at different stages of life, including increasing cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness, bone density, and reducing the risk of disabilities and communicable diseases [Studies have also indicated that children and adolescents need at least an hour of physical activity of varying intensity most days of the week to promote health and well-being [Estimating the rate of PA-related injuries is challenging [Merkel [In light of these observations, the development of a strategy aimed at reducing the risk of injuries, protecting individual health, and increasing physical and sports safety is a crucial element in reducing the reluctance of children and adolescents to engage in PA. Ensuring participation in PA contributes to the development of public health [The assessment of PA characteristics is one of the methods used to identify possible modifiable and intrinsic risk factors for PA-related injuries. Several studies have shown a close relationship between the various components of physical fitness and risk factors associated with PA-related injuries [According to Truong et al. [Epidemiological studies have shown that injured athletes value healthcare professionals who engage and involve them in their care through strategies such as goal-setting. A strong therapeutic alliance in which the goals and values of each athlete are respected results in positive rehabilitation experiences and increased trust in providers. Open discussions with providers and coaches allowed athletes to make decisions about surgery, rehabilitation, or a return to sports, helping prevent injuries. Beidler et al. [Therefore, the present study aimed to assess the frequency of PA-related injuries among Saudi adolescents aged 13–18 to determine the location of the injury in the body area, the types of injuries, and whether the injury required urgent medical attention, and subsequently to investigate the association of these factors with gender, age, body mass index (BMI), knowledge of PA-related injuries, SB, and level of weekly physical activity. We hypothesized that boys reported more PA-related injuries than girls. We also hypothesized that participants with a good knowledge of PA-related injuries would be less likely to sustain PA-related injuries than participants with low knowledge. Additionally, it was hypothesized that participants with higher SB and reduced levels of PA were more likely to sustain PA-related injuries than those with lower SB and a higher level of PA. Finally, we hypothesized that lower limb bruises and strains were the most common PA-related injuries among Saudi boys, while upper limb strains were the most common PA-related injuries among girls.