Biopsychosocial approach to sports injury: a systematic review and exploration of knowledge structure

Background: Sports injuries are influenced by biological, psychological, and social factors. Therefore, an integrated approach to address these factors is essential. This study aimed to analyze the research trends and biopsychosocial factors influencing sports injuries. It also explored the knowledge structure of the biopsychosocial approach to sports injuries.

Methods: A literature search was conducted using the PubMed, Cochrane Library, and RISS databases with the keywords 'Biopsychosocial' and 'Sports injury' for studies published between January 1, 2014, and August 31, 2024. Studies in which the abstract content did not match the purpose of this study were excluded. Two independent reviewers conducted a qualitative content analysis of the selected literature. Data on the study design, year of publication, biopsychosocial factors, and main findings were extracted. To explore the knowledge structure, a keyword-network analysis was performed using Python NetworkX.

Result: Five studies were selected based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. All selected studies were published after 2021, reflecting recent research trends. Biopsychosocial factors influencing the occurrence of sports injuries include sex, team sports, neuroticism, previous injury, postpartum-related factors, mental health, and sleep status. Biopsychosocial factors influencing return to play after sports injury include self-reported knee function and psychological readiness to return to sport. The five most frequently occurring keywords were 'injury', 'factors', 'sports', 'pain' and 'runners'. 'Factors-injury' had the highest co-occurrence frequency, and the 'injury', 'factors', and 'sports' showed high scores in the centrality analysis.

Conclusion: A biopsychosocial approach to sports injuries represents a recent research trend. Identifying the biopsychosocial factors of sports injuries can help prevent injuries and promote rehabilitation. Therefore, the development of a biopsychosocial model to prevent sports injuries and promote rehabilitation has been proposed.