Epidemiological characteristics of skiing injuries: a retrospective study based on the 2024–2025 Ski season

Background This study analyzed patients treated for skiing injuries at Chongli Campus, Peking University Third Hospital during the 2024–2025 ski season to clarify the epidemiological patterns and associated factors of skiing injuries, and to provide data support for developing preventive measures. Methods A retrospective study design was adopted. Clinical data from 4,270 patients with skiing injuries treated between November 2024 and April 2025 were collected. Chi-square tests (with Cramér's V effect sizes) and multinomial logistic regression were used for statistical analysis. Results Injury location were significantly associated with gender, annual skiing expenditure, skiing equipment, skiing experience and skill level (all P  < 0.001). Low-consumption skiers were mainly beginners with <2 years of experience and predominantly sustained lower extremity injuries, whereas high-consumption skiers were mostly expert-level skiers with >5 years of experience and had a higher prevalence of upper extremity injuries. Multinomial logistic regression showed that age, male gender (OR for head/neck vs. upper extremity = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.63–0.94), low consumption (OR for head/neck = 1.79, 95% CI: 1.14–2.80), and beginner skill level (OR for lower extremity vs. upper extremity = 4.58, 95% CI: 2.13–9.81) were independent predictors of injury location. Conclusions Differentiated and individualized preventive measures should be implemented for different groups of skiers to reduce the occurrence of skiing injuries and promote the healthy development of ice and snow sports.