Introspective Ratings of Biopsychosocial Status Are Associated With Sport-Related Injuries

Context Injury risk screening has historically focused on physical factors and neglected the influence of interrelated biopsychosocial factors. Objective To assess the internal consistency and predictive validity of a concise electronic screening survey designed to efficiently acquire introspective distress ratings (IDRs) for biopsychosocial factors believed to contribute to sport-related injury risk. Design Retrospective and prospective cohort study. Setting National Collegiate Athletic Association (Division I Football Championship Subdivision) university athletic program. Patients or Other Participants One hundred forty-three college athletes (97 football, 26 women’s soccer, and 20 women’s volleyball). Main Outcome Measure(s) Associations between sport-related injury occurrences and IDRs derived from Global Well-Being Index (GWBI) survey responses acquired immediately prior to the start of preseason practice sessions. Results Good internal consistency among survey responses was found (Cronbach α = 0.714) as well as meaningful retrospective and prospective associations with both core or lower extremity injury (CLEI) and sport-related concussion (SRC). All bivariate correlations among IDRs for 5 different categories of biopsychosocial problems were statistically significant ( P < .001 to P = .05). Sleep-related IDR was strongly associated with both CLEI and SRC both retrospectively and prospectively. The strongest finding was an interaction of Sleep-IDR with starter status that prospectively predicted CLEI occurrence during the sport season (odds ratio = 16.94; P < .001). Conclusions The GWBI survey provides a concise and psychometrically sound instrument for assessment of interrelated biopsychosocial factors that are highly relevant to injury risk among college athletes participating in football, soccer, and volleyball.