Hi everybody,
We are Taina Müller and Lukas Ernstbrunner, two medical students from Austria. We are planning to conduct a sport-epidemiological study about “Injuries in Ski Touring”.
At the moment, we are trying to encourage as many passionate Ski Tourers as possible to participate in our study. In the following, we show what the planned study is about and what the time schedule for participants look like.
Little is known about the incidence of injury rates and causes in Ski Touring.11 Nonetheless information about injury rates, patterns and causes are crucial for implementation of injury prevention strategies. In cooperation of the Paracelsus Medical University with the Department of Sport Science of the University of Innsbruck, we aim to gather basic information in Ski Touring to provide starting points to render this growing winter sport more save.
The study will be conducted during one Ski Touring season ranging from October 2015 to April 2016. It is planned to include a minimum of one-hundred participants, recruited through the Austrian Skiing Association, Austrian Alpine Club, Bavarian Alpine Club, Ski Touring-related homepages, social media and personal contacts.
What do I have to do as a participant?
Prior to study, informed consent will be obtained from all participants. General information including age, gender, nationality, preferred Ski Touring territory, years of Ski Touring experience, ski touring-related previous injuries etc. will be gathered. In order to complete the general questionnaire around 10 minutes work are calculated.
Throughout the season, all participants will have to complete a monthly internet-based questionnaire aiming to gather the following information: number of Ski Touring tours performed, Ski Touring locations, snow and weather conditions, safety equipment etc.
In case of injury, additional questions regarding the conditions and circumstances, the affected body part, etc. will be asked, which take monthly another 10 minutes to be answered. If the participant performed no skiing tour in the queried month, the questionnaire is completed in no time.
We need YOUR help!
By participating and supporting our research you will actively and personally contribute to the improvement of safety in Ski Touring.
If you have further questions, please contact us personally or/and via the following email address: skitourstudy@gmail.com.
Kind regards and thanks,
Taina Müller and Lukas Ernstbrunner
