FACTORS PREDISPOSING STUDENT-ATHLETES TO SPORT INJURIES IN ADEKUNLE AJASIN UNIVERSITY, AKUNGBA-AKOKO ONDO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study investigates factors predisposing student-athletes to sport injuries in
Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko Ondo State, Nigeria. Three research
questions were raised, and three hypotheses were formulated and tested in this study.
Descriptive survey research was adopted for the study while the population
comprised of student-athletes of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo
State from which 210 respondents were randomly selected as sample which consisted
of 136 male athlete and 74 female athlete, volunteer sampling technique was adopted
for the recruitment of respondents. The research instrument used for data collection
was a self-constructed questionnaire (FPSASI), the researcher administered the
questionnaire which was done immediately. The retrieved questionnaire forms were
coded into frequency tables while simple percentage (%) and Chi-square (x2)
statistics were applied for data analyses. The result reveals that inefficient warm-up
activities, inadequate facilities/equipment, and coaches are significant factors that
predisposed student-athlete of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo
State to sport injuries. It is recommended that administrator and coaches of
universities should implement evidence-based injuries prevention programs using
warmup routines, coaching practices, efficient management of facilities and
equipment’s, warm-up intervention program should be reviewed and ensured to meet
standard, be sport-specific, safe and modifiable, educating university coaches on
evidence-based injury prevention and load management should be a priority, facilities
and equipment be efficiently managed by a professional to ensure it meets the safety
standard required and there should be provision to replace worn or defective
equipment.