Australia currently lacks a national data collection that can provide information about the frequency and cause of sports injury to inform injury prevention activities and provide evidence on the risks and benefits of participation.

The AIHW has been commissioned by Sport Australia and the AIS to investigate the possibility of developing a National Sports Injury Data Asset (NSIDA).

The proposed data asset would capture information on sport injuries and their contexts to inform research, policy and prevention programs, and provide a reliable evidence base to improve safety in sport.

AIS Chief Medical Officer Dr David Hughes said: “There is overwhelming evidence of the physical, psychological and emotional benefits gained by participation in organised sport, however research demonstrates that sport injuries are a cause of individuals dropping out of sport, consequently reducing overall physical activity levels.”

“A National Sports Injury Data Asset would provide a robust evidence base that details sports injury prevalence and patterns to inform future injury prevention strategies. Having an independent, reliable data repository on sports injuries can guide targeted interventions to minimise the cost of sports injuries to the health system and optimise the benefits of sport participation.

As part of the project, the AIHW is talking with sports organisations, healthcare providers, insurers and government agencies to understand what sports injury data is currently being collected.

“Australia is a sporting nation and participation in sport improves our health and wellbeing, however, these benefits are often lessened as a result of injuries that could either have been prevented or better managed,” AIHW spokesperson Dr Adrian Webster said.

Dr Hughes added: “The AIS and Sport Australia are seeking to ensure that all Australians have the opportunity to enrich their lives through participation in sport. Keeping more Australians in sport and being physical active for longer will provide great economic and health benefits to the Australian community.”

A new online data collection tool is also being piloted to fill a gap in community sport injury reporting, which can be used by players, parents, coaches and trainers to record injuries.

The project comes as the AIHW releases its first stage of work, Economics of sports injury and participation – Preliminary results, aimed at better understanding the potential savings to be gained through improving injury prevention and management and increasing physical activity across the Australian population.

It suggests that around three quarters of a billion dollars is spent each year on managing relatively severe injuries that were associated with inadequate injury prevention and management during physical activity ($764 million in 2018-19).

To provide feedback on the proposed data strategy visit the AIHW website.