Sport and recreation-related injury hospitalisations in Queensland public acute hospitals: 01 Jan 2016 to 31 Oct 2022
Queensland Trauma Insights – February 2023
Key findings
Between 01 January 2016 and 31 October 2022:
- 81,072 sport and recreational activity related injury hospitalisations occurred in Qld public acute hospitals.
- Team ball sports were the leading cause of sports injuries accounting for 32% of hospitalisations (n=25,754).
- Males aged between 10-19 years had the highest incidence.
- Fractures were the main injury sustained accounting for almost half of all hospitalisations (N=33,113, 48%).
Key figures
Trends over time
| Activity/Outcome | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Episodes of care | 11,539 | 11,543 | 11,714 | 12,083 | 11,877 | 13,175 | 9,141 |
| Patient days | 19,795 | 19,302 | 19,175 | 20,420 | 20,082 | 21,742 | 15,747 |
| Av Length of stay | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 |
| Died in hospital | 13 | 7 | 12 | 6 | 10 | 12 | 5 |
Age and sex breakdown
Body region of injury sustained
Top 10 sports causing injury
| Types of sport | Episodes | Patient days |
|---|---|---|
| Team ball sports | 25,754 | 32,410 |
| Wheeled nonmotored sports | 17,223 | 31,641 |
| Wheeled motor sports | 7,637 | 18,705 |
| Individual water sports | 6,451 | 11,537 |
| Equestrian activities | 4,884 | 10,083 |
| Individual athletic activities | 3,687 | 6,846 |
| Other specified sport and exercise activity | 2,994 | 4,703 |
| Combative sports | 1,833 | 2,362 |
| Team bat or stick sports | 1,816 | 2,249 |
| Unspecified sport and exercise activity | 1,370 | 2,053 |
Top 10 team ball sports
| Team ball sports | Episodes | Patient days |
|---|---|---|
| Rugby, unspecified | 6,712 | 8,585 |
| Soccer | 4,406 | 5,639 |
| Football, unspecified | 2,863 | 3,384 |
| Australian Rules | 2,775 | 3,386 |
| Rugby League | 2,557 | 3,419 |
| Basketball | 1,947 | 2,398 |
| Touch football | 1,782 | 2,243 |
| Netball, other and unspecified | 1,229 | 1,406 |
| Rugby Union | 647 | 892 |
| Other specified football | 318 | 385 |
Top 10 injury sustained
| Injury sustained | Number of episodes |
|---|---|
| Fracture | 39,065 |
| Internal organ injuries | 9,033 |
| Open wound | 5,777 |
| Dislocation | 3,606 |
| Superficial and contusions | 3,447 |
| Toxic Effects | 516 |
| Burn | 236 |
| Other effects of external causes | 1,431 |
| Other specified | 11,888 |
| Unspecified | 5,518 |
About us
The Jamieson Trauma Institute (JTI) connects clinicians, researchers, government and industry partners striving to advance trauma prevention, research and clinical management, to deliver the best possible care for people who experience traumatic injury. JTI was established with funding from the Motor Accident Insurance Commission and Metro North Hospital and Health Service. For further information, contact: Jamieson_trauma_institute@health.qld.gov.au
Data scope and definitions
This overview was produced by the Jamieson Trauma Institute, in consultation with the Statistical Services Branch, Queensland Health using Queensland Hospital Admitted Patient Data Collection (QHAPDC) (derived subset of data tables comprising injury related hospital admissions from all public acute hospitals excluding Mater South Brisbane Hospitals).
Data Scope
- Includes episodes of admitted patient care with separation date between 01 January 2016 and 31 October 2022.
- Sport and recreational activity related hospitalisation is defined by ICD-10-AM principal diagnosis code between S00-T98 with activity code between U50 and U71.
- Care Type = Acute.
- Data from 1 July to 31 October 2022 are preliminary and subject to change.
- This overview presents raw counts and percentages, not age standardised rates, as data relate to episodes of care and not individual patients.