632 MEP113 – Adaptation and validation of web-based questionnaires on overuse injuries and health problems in Japanese youth sports

AbstractBackground Although monitoring injuries and health problems among youth athletes is important for prevention, no established method currently monitors health problems associated with Japanese youth sports.Objective Adaptation of the Japanese Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center (OSTRC) Overuse Injury Questionnaire 2 (OSTRC-O2.JP) and OSTRC Questionnaire on Health Problems 2 (OSTRC-H2.JP) to youth athletes, and assessment of their validity and reliability.Design Interview and prospective observational study.Setting Japanese youth sports.Patients (or Participants) Thirty-six youth athletes for the interview (OSTRC-O2.JP, n=18; OSTRC-H2.JP, n=18) and 102 youth athletes for the prospective observational study (OSTRC-O2.JP, n=51; OSTRC-H2.JP, n=51).Interventions (or Assessment of Risk Factors) Before interviews were conducted, an expert committee discussed the conceptual equivalence and adapted the questionnaires to youth athletes (OSTRC-O2.JPY and OSTRC-H2.JPY). The athletes were interviewed to determine whether they understood the adapted questionnaires. To assess the validity, the athletes were followed up for over 10 consecutive weeks. Four questions were added in week 10. Test-retest analysis for reliability was performed 24–72 hours after week 10.Main Outcome Measurements Response rate over the full study period and responses to the additional four questions in week 10 for validity. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of severity score in test-retest analysis and Cronbach's a in internal consistency for reliability.Results No major changes were made to the questionnaires throughout the interview. The average response rates were 46.9% for OSTRC-O2.JPY and 49.2% for OSTRC-H2.JPY. Most participants reported that the web-based method worked effectively as the questionnaire was not difficult, and there were no items they wanted to change or add. The ICC of the OSTRC-O2.JPY was 0.89 and that for OSTRC-H2.JPY was 0.97. Mean Cronbach's a was 0.93 for OSTRC-O2.JPY, and 0.95 for OSTRC-H2.JPY.Conclusions The adapted questionnaires were valid and reliable for monitoring health problems in youth sports.