Tim Hoenig1, Pascal Edouard2, Matthias Krause3, Deeksha Malhan4, Angela Relógio4, Astrid Junge5, Karsten Hollander6. 1. Department of Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany. Electronic address: t.hoenig@uke.de. 2. Inter-university Laboratory of Human Movement Science (LIBM EA 7424), University of Lyon, University Jean Monnet, France; Department of Clinical and Exercise Physiology, Sports Medicine Unit, University Hospital of Saint-Etienne, Faculty of Medicine, France. 3. Department of Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany. 4. Institute for Theoretical Biology (ITB), Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Germany; Molecular Cancer Research Center (MKFZ), Medical Department of Hematology, Oncology and Tumor Immunology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Germany; Institute for Systems Medicine and Faculty of Human Medicine, MSH Medical School Hamburg, Germany. 5. Swiss Concussion Center, Switzerland; Institute of Interdisciplinary Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, MSH Medical School Hamburg, Germany. 6. Institute of Interdisciplinary Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, MSH Medical School Hamburg, Germany.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: It has been claimed that analyses of large datasets from publicly accessible, open-collaborated ("citizen science-based") online databases may provide additional insight into the epidemiology of injuries in professional football. However, this approach comes with major limitations, raising critical questions about the current trend of utilizing citizen science-based data. Therefore, we aimed to determine if citizen science-based health data from a popular online database on professional football players can be used for epidemiological research, i.e. in providing results comparable to other data sources used in previously published studies. DESIGN: Retrospective database analysis. METHODS: Transfermarkt.com (Transfermarkt; Hamburg; Germany) is a publicly accessible online database on various data of professional football players. All information provided in the section "injury history" of football players from the top five European leagues over a period of ten seasons (2009/10-2018/19) was analyzed. Frequency, characteristics, and incidence of injuries were reported according to seasons and countries, and results compared with three previously published databases (a scientific injury surveillance, a media-based study, and an insurance database). RESULTS: Overall, 21,598 injuries of 11,507 players were analyzed from the Transfermarkt.com database. Incidence was 0.63 injuries per player-season (95% confidence interval 0.62 to 0.64) but significant differences between subgroups (countries, years) were found. In comparison to other databases, citizen science-based data was associated with lower injury incidences and higher proportions of severe injuries. CONCLUSIONS: With few exceptions (e.g., severe injuries), the use of citizen science-based health data on professional football players cannot be recommended at present for epidemiological research.
OBJECTIVES: It has been claimed that analyses of large datasets from publicly accessible, open-collaborated ("citizen science-based") online databases may provide additional insight into the epidemiology of injuries in professional football. However, this approach comes with major limitations, raising critical questions about the current trend of utilizing citizen science-based data. Therefore, we aimed to determine if citizen science-based health data from a popular online database on professional football players can be used for epidemiological research, i.e. in providing results comparable to other data sources used in previously published studies. DESIGN: Retrospective database analysis. METHODS: Transfermarkt.com (Transfermarkt; Hamburg; Germany) is a publicly accessible online database on various data of professional football players. All information provided in the section "injury history" of football players from the top five European leagues over a period of ten seasons (2009/10-2018/19) was analyzed. Frequency, characteristics, and incidence of injuries were reported according to seasons and countries, and results compared with three previously published databases (a scientific injury surveillance, a media-based study, and an insurance database). RESULTS: Overall, 21,598 injuries of 11,507 players were analyzed from the Transfermarkt.com database. Incidence was 0.63 injuries per player-season (95% confidence interval 0.62 to 0.64) but significant differences between subgroups (countries, years) were found. In comparison to other databases, citizen science-based data was associated with lower injury incidences and higher proportions of severe injuries. CONCLUSIONS: With few exceptions (e.g., severe injuries), the use of citizen science-based health data on professional football players cannot be recommended at present for epidemiological research.
Authors: Francesco Della Villa; Matthew Buckthorpe; Fillippo Tosarelli; Matteo Zago; Stefano Zaffagnini; Alberto Grassi Journal: BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med Date: 2022-09-22