494 MEP099 – Injury prevention in community sports refereeing: exploring the barriers, facilitators, and preferences of ladies gaelic football referees

AbstractBackground The annual injury prevalence of referees in community sports is very high and yet few are undertaking injury prevention (IP) strategies (1). For IP strategies to have the best chances of achieving adoption, an in-depth understanding of end-users' preferences and implementation context is required (2).Objective To determine the barriers and facilitators to IP strategy adoption and the preferences of Ladies Gaelic Football referees regarding future IP strategies and educational interventions.Design, Setting & Participants Semi-structured interviews were completed with 11 active referees (10 men, 1 woman) from the community sport of Ladies Gaelic Football in Ireland. Two referees were at club level, two were provincial level and 7 were national level. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed.Results The barriers to adoption for referees were negative attitudes, lack of resources, poor education, the current state of refereeing and unsuitable IP strategy characteristics. IP promotion, appropriate strategy characteristics and open communication were the key facilitators. Referees preferred IP education to be practical, in-person, led by health and fitness professionals and integrated into existing courses. IP programmes must mimic what referees experience during games and contain brief, accessible warm-ups, cool-downs, and preseason interventions. Conclusions Referee shortages in community sports are a major issue (3). These shortages, combined with other aspects of refereeing, have put pressure on referees to ignore pain and proper load management practices. IP education and promotional activities are important for changing behaviour, however improving communication, game scheduling, and load monitoring are crucial for significant change to occur (4). IP programmes should be designed in accordance with the preferences of referees and integrated into an IP strategy that is mindful of the barriers and facilitators referees have highlighted. Governing bodies also need to deliver support, education, and promotional activities around IP programmes to maximise adoption.