Injury prevention in camogie: Current trends in the use of protective equipment

AbstractCamogie is one of Ireland's national field sports. The aim of this study was to investigate the use of protective equipment by camogie players and to identify the most common injuries resulting from playing camogie. A questionnaire was distributed to 180 camogie players at randomly chosen clubs in two Irish counties to establish use of protective equipment over the preceding 12 months and what injuries resulted from playing camogie over the same period. Direct observation of players in action was undertaken looking at protective equipment use to confirm reliability of the self‐reported data. One hundred and thirty‐nine questionnaires were returned and 120 players directly observed. In total, 74.8% of players reported wearing a helmet every time and 84.9% that they never wear a handguard. Reasons for not wearing protective equipment include discomfort and the belief that it is unnecessary. Thirty‐seven percent of players reported injury; hand injuries were the most common (42.3% of all injuries). One in six players experienced a hand injury over the 12‐month period. Generating awareness of the prevalence of hand injuries and the lack of hand protection in camogie is required.