Consumption of analgesics in American football, in the Federal State of Hesse, Germany: protocol of a cross-sectional study
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Date
Publisher
BMJ
Abstract
Introduction: Considering the rising popularity of
American football (AF) in Germany, particularly in the
Federal State of Hesse, this study explores the concerning
issue of analgesic consumption among players. The study
aims to investigate analgesic use patterns and players’
awareness of risks, focusing on gender differences,
medical care impact, positional intensity, league level and
knowledge influence. The study aims to collect data that
will contribute to the development of targeted preventive
health measures, such as education and sensitising
coaches during coaching licence courses and strategies to
enhance medication safety in AF.
Methods and analysis: The cross-sectional
study
includes an online questionnaire targeting adult AF
players in Hesse, Germany, during the 2024 season.
Data collection, from October 2024 to April 2025, will
cover dosage, timing, frequency of analgesic use and
players’ knowledge of risks. The study will also explore
the relationship between analgesic use and players’ skill
levels, medical care availability, player activities and pain
profiles. A pretest will ensure the questionnaire’s validity.
Data analysis encompasses descriptive and logistic
regression analyses to study the association between
independent variables and analgesic use.
Ethics and dissemination: The responsible ethics
committee of the faculty of Medicine at the Philipps
University Marburg confirmed that no ethics vote was
necessary if participants’ anonymity and research integrity
are maintained. The results will be published in the form of
an article and congress presentation. The findings aim to
contribute to the development of tailored health measures,
fostering a safer and healthier sporting environment for AF
players in Germany.
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License
Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as Attribution 4.0 International