Date of Presentation
5-4-2023 12:00 AM
College
School of Osteopathic Medicine
Poster Abstract
Background: In the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), 9.1% of the injuries reported by Women’s cross country athletes between 2014-2019 were fractures. Although excessive exercise is a major contributor to the development of amenorrhea, there are currently no studies on the association between amenorrhea and stress fractures in NJ NCAA Division III Women’s cross country or track athletes. This study aims to determine if there is an association between incidence of amenorrhea and subsequent occurrence of stress fractures among this population.
Methods: This is a survey based study. Participants must be female athletes over the age of 18 who currently participate in collegiate cross country or track running at a NJ Division III school. In total, 68 survey responses were collected. Data was analyzed using SPSS.
Results: Of the 68 participants, 58.8% missed their menstrual cycle and 45.6% experienced a stress fracture during training or competition. There is a significant association between having missed at least one menstrual cycle during training or competition and the number of stress fractures experienced by NJ Division III female cross country and track athletes (p = 0.044). Only 30.9% of respondents indicated that someone from their school’s staff spoke to them about the importance of maintaining regular menstruation during training.
Conclusions: This study confirms that both amenorrhea and stress fractures are commonly seen among NJ NCAA Division III female cross country and track athletes. Our data also highlights a need for increased education of NJ Division III female athletes regarding the importance of maintaining regular menstruation as a means of stress fracture prevention. Further investigation of the role of amenorrhea on the incidence of stress fractures may shine light on an important area for prevention and increased health education.
Keywords
Amenorrhea, Athletes, Female, Stress Fractures, Health Education
Disciplines
Medicine and Health Sciences | Musculoskeletal System | Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms | Public Health Education and Promotion | Sports Medicine | Women's Health
Document Type
Poster
Included in
Musculoskeletal System Commons, Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Commons, Public Health Education and Promotion Commons, Sports Medicine Commons, Women's Health Commons
Amenorrhea and Stress Fractures in Female New Jersey Division III Collegiate Runners: An Opportunity for Increased Health Education
Background: In the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), 9.1% of the injuries reported by Women’s cross country athletes between 2014-2019 were fractures. Although excessive exercise is a major contributor to the development of amenorrhea, there are currently no studies on the association between amenorrhea and stress fractures in NJ NCAA Division III Women’s cross country or track athletes. This study aims to determine if there is an association between incidence of amenorrhea and subsequent occurrence of stress fractures among this population.
Methods: This is a survey based study. Participants must be female athletes over the age of 18 who currently participate in collegiate cross country or track running at a NJ Division III school. In total, 68 survey responses were collected. Data was analyzed using SPSS.
Results: Of the 68 participants, 58.8% missed their menstrual cycle and 45.6% experienced a stress fracture during training or competition. There is a significant association between having missed at least one menstrual cycle during training or competition and the number of stress fractures experienced by NJ Division III female cross country and track athletes (p = 0.044). Only 30.9% of respondents indicated that someone from their school’s staff spoke to them about the importance of maintaining regular menstruation during training.
Conclusions: This study confirms that both amenorrhea and stress fractures are commonly seen among NJ NCAA Division III female cross country and track athletes. Our data also highlights a need for increased education of NJ Division III female athletes regarding the importance of maintaining regular menstruation as a means of stress fracture prevention. Further investigation of the role of amenorrhea on the incidence of stress fractures may shine light on an important area for prevention and increased health education.