Sports injuries can have significant impacts in amateur and professional sport, with significant socio-economic and health consequences for the athlete in the medium and long term. Preventive measures have the potential to significantly reduce the risk of injury for a majority of participants in different sports and physical activities. Evidence-based prevention programmes have been shown to be effective in the literature, particularly in team sports. In addition, recent studies have shown that, as well as reducing the risk of injury and the number of days away from the pitch, regular implementation of prevention protocols also improves performance.
Before implementing preventive interventions and in order to bridge the gap between science and practice, the reasons why preventive measures are not adopted must be identified, as well as the barriers and facilitators that need to be addressed. A good understanding of the context, routines and habits, as well as the knowledge and perceptions of those working in the field with regard to prevention, would appear to be a prerequisite for effective implementation of these measures.
The Healthy Active Project was launched to address this need. Led by LIROMS and, in collaboration with different national and international partners, this project aims to promote a sustainable, evidence-informed approach to injury prevention across the Luxembourgish sport ecosystem, from grassroots to elite levels.
Phase 1 – Understanding the context
The first phase of the project consisted of a qualitative study exploring the perceptions and practices of injury prevention in Luxembourg.
Twelve semi-structured interviews were conducted with athletes, coaches, healthcare professionals, and institutional representatives active in the national sport landscape.
The results revealed that, while prevention is recognized as important, it is often perceived as secondary to performance and associated with a reactive rather than proactive mindset. Three points emerged as essential for effective implementation:
- Clear and coordinated communication between all actors (clubs, federations, medical professionals, institutions)
- Early education and integration of prevention into youth sport
- Structured support and specific training for coaches
The study also highlighted the need for a shared national framework to ensure coherence and sustainability.
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Based on the results of the qualitative study, the partners defined the objectives for the second phase of the project. The aim is now to translate the findings into concrete preventive actions, through four main initiatives:
1. Awareness and communication
Short and dynamic video capsules to raise awareness about injury prevention among the general public have been created in collaboration with the “Commission des Athlètes du COSL” and the LIHPS. They cover five different topics: warm-up, recovery, mental health, nutrition and training load management.
2. Development of tools and resources
Creation and adaptation of evidence-based prevention materials, validated and accessible to different sports and levels. These will be progressively made available on the Healthy Active on this webpage, providing coaches, clubs, and athletes with practical resources. Some resources will also be available on the partners website (see below).
3. Support and implementation
Establishment of a network of “Prevention Ambassadors” trained to accompany clubs, coaches, and federations in adopting prevention strategies. These ambassadors will serve as local multipliers to ensure the long-term adoption of good practices in the field.
4. Field testing and indivualized prevention
Design test batteries in sports clubs to identify individual risk factors and enable personalized prevention approaches. These batteries will combine validated physical tests with practical, easy-to-use tools adapted to each sport.
Together with the Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg (CHL), we work on several prevention programs.
Ski injury prevention program
Réseau Francophone Olympique de la Recherche en Médecine du Sport (ReFORM)
ReFORM is an international network dedicated to education, knowledge transfer and the promotion of athlete health in sports medicine and sport science. The network is recognized as an IOC Research Centre since 2018. Its objective is to make high-quality scientific and practical knowledge accessible to all stakeholders involved in sport, including coaches, health professionals, educators and decision-makers.
To achieve this, ReFORM develops and disseminates a wide range of free educational resources, such as infographics, assesment tools, practical sheets and field tools, injury prevention strategies and programmes, educational videos, podcasts etc.
These resources address major topics related to athlete health and protection, including injury prevention, return to sport, youth athlete protection, mental health and well being, safeguarding in sport, concussion management etc.
Fédération Luxembourgeoise des Associations de Sport de Santé
In partnership with FLASS we work on various sport injury prevention projects.