Injuries to American children during physical education classes increased by 150% from 1997-2007, according to a new study conducted by the Center of Injury Research and Policy of the Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital.

According to the study, published in the online
issue of Pediatrics, the most common PE-related injuries were
lower-extremity sprains and strains (23 percent), followed by upper
extremity sprains and strains (14 percent) and fractures (14 percent).
Middle school-aged children (11-14 years of age) accounted for the
majority of PE-related injuries (52 percent). Elementary school-aged
children (5-10 years of age) had almost double the odds of a head
injury, compared with other injuries.

Nearly 70 percent of
PE-related injuries occurred while children were participating in six
activities (running, basketball, football, volleyball, soccer and
gymnastics). Injuries were caused by contact with another person,
playing surface, equipment, stationary structures, pulled muscles,
overuse and activity-related illnesses such as heat stroke.

“The
150 percent increase in PE-related injuries presenting to emergency
departments was consistent across gender and age groups. It is unlikely
that this increase was attributable to an increase in PE
participation,” explained study author Lara McKenzie, PhD,
principal investigator at the Center for Injury Research and Policy at
Nationwide Children’s Hospital and faculty member of The Ohio State
University College of Medicine. “Identifying patterns of PE-related
injuries is the first step toward preventing them. Injury prevention
education should be made a priority for all PE activities, especially
for those activities with the highest injury rates.”

According to the study's authors, a decline in school nurses and
larger class sizes could be to blame rather than programs encouraging
more vigorous exercise in schools.

The study, based on hospital reports of phys ed injuries, was released
Monday and appears in the September edition of Pediatrics. It suggests
schools should renew their efforts to make gym class safer

This is the
first published study to examine PE-related injuries on a national
level. Data for this study were collected from the National Electronic
Injury Surveillance System (NEISS), which is operated by the U.S.
Consumer Product Safety Commission. The NEISS dataset provides
information on consumer product-related and sports and
recreation-related injuries treated in hospital emergency departments
across the country.

For the study, researchers analyzed emergency room reports of
P.E.-related injuries in children, ages 5 to 18. The data came from 100
representative U.S. hospitals taking part in surveillance for the U.S.
Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The researchers found nearly 12,000 injuries from those hospitals
during the 11 years. From that, they calculated a national estimate of
nearly 37,000 annual injuries on average, with fewer than 30,000 in
1997 and climbing to more than 60,000 injuries a year by 2007.

Rates per 10,000 students in those age groups also increased. The
researchers weren't able to calculate a rate based on numbers of
children taking gym classes, which would have given a more accurate
picture. Based on other studies, the researchers believe there's been
only a slight increase in P.E. participation and only in the past few
years.