Knowledge and attitude of Mazandaran's soccer coaches toward sport injury prevention

 Coaches play a key role in facilitating injury prevention strategies to reduce the risk of injury in sport; however, this is likely influenced by their knowledge of, and attitude towards, injuries and injury prevention programs. There is limited research in soccer investigating coach knowledge and attitudes towards injury. Therefore, purpose of this research was to investigate Mazandaran province soccer's coach knowledge and attitudes towards sport injury prevention.

 A cross-sectional study was conducted in which 200 soccer coaches completed a survey including a series of closed and open-ended questions regarding their knowledge and attitudes towards sport injury prevention.

 Coaches were less knowledgeable about common upper body injuries and associated risk factors than lower body injuries and common injury types. In particular, there was a lack of awareness that injuries to the head/face (head concussion) were common. Coaches had a positive attitude towards sport injury prevention; However, constraints of time and space are major barriers to coaches implementing sport injury prevention programs. Greater levels of knowledge and more positive attitudes were reported by coaches with more experience. Half of coaches reported witnessing coaches putting pressure on players to play when injured and most coaches reported seeing injured players play on when they thought they should not have.

 Soccer coaches had poor knowledge about upper extremity injuries. Soccer organizations should improve coach education about common soccer-related injuries and injury risk factors, such as head injuries and effective injury prevention-based resources.