A paucity of data exists concerning musculoskeletal injuries in athletes participating in contact team sports, a situation that is particularly salient in the Croatian context. The present pilot study analyzed injury profiles in 203 Croatian male football and handball players (114 and 89, respectively). Item-level responses were executed without the utilization of skip logic, consequently yielding slight variations in sample sizes for each variable. Descriptive and non-parametric statistics, including effect size, were applied. The prevalence of injuries was found to be high, with 86.7% of athletes reporting a history of musculoskeletal injury. Lower extremity injuries were the most prevalent injury type, accounting for 79.3% of cases, and were particularly common among football players. In contrast, upper extremity injuries were more frequently reported by handball players, with a rate of 20.0%, which is significantly higher than the rate of 9.2% observed among football players. Despite the modest effect sizes observed, these sport-specific variations were found to be statistically significant (V = 0.153–0.179). A comparison of the injury rates revealed that football players exhibited a higher proportion of total injuries (97.0%) compared to handball players (72.7%), although this difference was insignificant (p = 0.065). A higher prevalence of injuries was observed during the competitive season phase (58.9%; χ²(1) = 10.68, p = 0.001, V = 0.244). A modest positive correlation was found between the duration of sports experience and the frequency of injuries (ρ = 0.203, p = 0.006). However, the rest period between training sessions was found to be unrelated to the occurrence of injuries (ρ = 0.013, p = 0.882). The prevalence of recurrent injuries among injured athletes was found to be 58.6%, with no significant association observed between this phenomenon and the availability of physiotherapists. The findings of this study underscore the need for prevention programs tailored to the specific risks associated with sports and the varying experience levels of athletes. To effectively address these issues, ongoing research and evaluation using statistical and practical effect estimates are imperative.

To ascertain whether Croatian respondents’ knowledge on pain aligns with modern pain science, and determine the measurement properties of the Croatian version of the Concept of Pain Inventory for Adults (COPI-Adult). A cross-sectional, online survey ...

Introduction: Research from developed European countries shows that self-referral to physiotherapy can provide adequate clinically and financially effective care for musculoskeletal disorders and is supported by most healthcare stakeholders. This pilot cross-sectional study aimed to investigate Croatian patients’ attitudes about physiotherapists and self-referral to physiotherapy and determine whether specific characteristics of the respondents' influence attitudes.Methods: The study involved 125 subjects, outpatient physiotherapy patients. Sociodemographic and medical data were collected at the end of the physiotherapy cycle. At the same time, the respondents' filled out a survey questionnaire on attitudes about physiotherapists and self-referral to physiotherapy, which was created for this research.Results: The respondents' attitudes show that physiotherapists possess and practice the necessary competencies in the health care of musculoskeletal disorders and that they are insufficiently represented in health care. The results implicate that physiotherapy is a patient-centred, effective and well-accepted health service. Self-referral to physiotherapy has potential socioeconomic implications for the individual and the health system. The results show (p < 0.05) that attitudes do not differ concerning gender, level of education or the number of previously attended cycles of physiotherapy. Still, increasing age decreases a positive attitude towards the effectiveness of physiotherapy and the professional autonomy of physiotherapists.Conclusions: The attitudes of Croatian patients toward physiotherapists and the possibility of self-referral to physiotherapy are positive and negatively correlated only with the characteristic of the age.

To examine the relationship between pain conceptualization and treatment outcomes in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain (CNSLBP) undergoing physiotherapy, and to explore the influence of educational attainment on pain conceptualization. ...

Introduction: Research on low back pain (LBP) indicates sex differences in the prevalence and degree of disability, which is more significant in females and shows possible balance deficiencies. This study aimed to answer the following research questions: (i) is there a difference in static balance between healthy and females with LBP, (ii) is there a correlation between pain and static balance in females with LBP, and (iii) is there a correlation between static balance and disability in females with LBP. Methods: A cross-sectional research was conducted in a physiotherapy outpatient setting on a sample of 50 subjects, females with LBP and healthy volunteers, divided into two equal groups. Data collected from all respondents were: age, weight and height, the centre of pressure path length and rectangle area, Romberg area quotient and space quotient measured via a stabilometric force platform. In the LBP group, the pain was assessed using the Numeric Pain Rating Scale, and disability was assessed using the 24-item Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire. Nonparametric statistical tests were used: the Mann-Whitney test (i) and the Spearman correlation coefficient (ii and iii) with a defined significance level set at p<0.05. Results: Statistical analysis revealed (i) a difference in static balance between healthy females and those with LBP, (iii) a correlation between disability and static balance and (ii) no correlation between pain and static balance in LBP. Conclusion: Females with LBP have static balance deficiencies, which are correlated with their disability but not with pain which should be considered during physiotherapy.

Introduction: Urinary incontinence (UI) in female athletes (FA) is a globally concerning but neglected topic in Croatia. The purpose was to examine the occurrence and severity of UI in Croatian FA and occurrence-associated factors. Methods: In May 2022, an anonymous online survey collecting general sports characteristics and the Incontinence Questionnaire-Urinary Incontinence Short Form (ICIQ-UI SF) were sent to individual FA. Obtained data were analysed with the PSPP program: chi-square test, t-test and analysis of variance with a defined significance level of p < 0.05. Results: The presence of UI in the total sample of 70 FA competing in 12 different sports is 24.3 %: 8 (29.6 %) handball players, 3 (42.9 %) tennis players, 2 (40 %) water polo players, one (14.3 %) synchronised swimmer, seven soccer players (14.3 %), one weightlifter (50 %) and the only swimmer (100 %). According to ICIQ-UI SF, in 70.59 % of FA with UI, a small amount of urine leaks approximately once a week or less often, mainly after urination and dressing up (35.29 %). The UI interference with quality of life is mild (70.59 %) and moderately severe (29.41 %), and the UI severity is slight (47 %) to moderate (53 %). Smokers report UI to a greater extent (χ2(1, n = 70) = 4.666, p < 0.05), while other sports and FA characteristics did not yield significant findings. Conclusions: UI is present in a quarter of examined Croatian FA, with mild to moderate severity. It mildly interferes with the quality of life and seems to be associated with smoking. Our findings contribute to preserving women's health in sports and apply to UI assessment in FA and counselling on smoking cessation as a proven UI risk.