Female sports participation and osteoarthritis: A systematic review
Author
Brent, Magnus
Term
4. semester
Education
Publication year
2023
Submitted on
2023-01-01
Abstract
Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a joint disease that causes pain and stiffness. For decades, people have worried that playing sports might increase OA risk. Yet women have been studied less, even though they are often considered at higher risk than men. In contrast, several reviews have found an association between sports participation and OA in men. Objective: To assess the link between OA and women’s participation in popular sports, and, secondarily, to examine whether sex influences the sports-related risk of developing OA. Methods: We conducted a systematic review following PRISMA guidelines. We searched PubMed and Embase systematically and used Google Scholar for supplementary free-text searches. Study quality was assessed with tools from the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Results: After removing duplicates, 578 articles were identified, and nine studies met the inclusion criteria. The sports covered were ballet, running, tennis, Olympic sports, volleyball, and cross-country skiing. Seven studies included both women and men. The knee and hip were the most commonly assessed joints. Seven articles examined female participation at the elite (high-level) level, and two examined non-elite participation. Conclusion: For women, participation in elite-level sports was associated with a higher risk of developing OA and a greater need for surgical treatment. Non-elite participation was associated with a higher risk of developing OA but not with an increased need for surgery. Few studies directly compared women and men, and these suggested that sex did not change the risk of developing OA from sports. It remains difficult to isolate the effect of sports participation itself, because injuries are common in athletes and independently increase OA risk.
Baggrund: Slidgigt (osteoarthritis, OA) er en ledsygdom, der giver smerter og stivhed. I årtier har man været bekymret for, om sport øger risikoen for at udvikle OA. Alligevel er kvinder undersøgt mindre, selv om de ofte anses for at have højere risiko end mænd. Til gengæld har flere reviews fundet en sammenhæng mellem sportsdeltagelse og OA hos mænd. Formål: At vurdere sammenhængen mellem OA og kvinders deltagelse i populære sportsgrene. Sekundært at undersøge, om køn påvirker risikoen for at udvikle OA gennem sport. Metode: Systematisk review efter PRISMA-retningslinjerne. PubMed og Embase blev systematisk søgt, og Google Scholar blev brugt til supplerende fritekstsøgninger. Studiekvalitet blev vurderet med værktøjer fra Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) og National Institutes of Health (NIH). Resultater: Efter fjernelse af dubletter blev der identificeret 578 artikler, og ni studier opfyldte inklusionskriterierne. De omfattede ballet, løb, tennis, olympiske sportsgrene, volleyball og langrend. Syv studier inkluderede både kvinder og mænd. Knæ og hofte var de hyppigst undersøgte led. Syv artikler handlede om kvinders deltagelse på eliteniveau, og to om ikke-elite. Konklusion: For kvinder var deltagelse i sport på eliteniveau forbundet med øget risiko for at udvikle OA og større behov for kirurgisk behandling. Deltagelse på ikke-eliteniveau var forbundet med øget risiko for OA, men ikke med øget behov for kirurgi. Få studier sammenlignede kvinder og mænd, og disse tydede på, at køn ikke ændrede risikoen for at udvikle OA gennem sport. Det er dog vanskeligt at isolere effekten af selve sport fra skader, som er almindelige hos atleter og i sig selv øger risikoen for OA.
[This apstract has been rewritten with the help of AI based on the project's original abstract]