Gender Differences in the Incidence and Types of Sports Injuries Among Female Athletes: A Scoping Review.

Background

With the increasing participation of women in sports, understanding gender differences in sports injuries has become crucial. This study compares the incidence of sports injuries in male and female athletes through a scope review, analyzes the gender specific patterns of common injury types, summarizes the current situation and challenges of sports injury prevention in female athletes, and proposes targeted clinical practice and research recommendations. Method: This study adopted a scope review design, followed the PRISMA ScR guidelines, and registered with PROSPERO (CRD420251058146). By searching PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases through the system (as of May 23, 2025), and manually searching for relevant literature in conjunction with references. The inclusion criteria are based on the PICO framework, focusing on female athletes, gender factors, and the incidence of sports injuries, covering all types of research. The data were extracted into standardized tables by two independent researchers through two-stage screening (title/abstract and full text). Result: Eighteen studies were selected from 2487 articles, covering various sports and populations. The results showed that there was no significant difference in the overall incidence of sports injuries between male and female athletes. However, female athletes are at higher risk in specific types of injuries, such as ACL injuries, bone stress injuries, concussion, and nontraumatic shoulder instability. The study also found that women are underrepresented in sports science and medical research, and gender factors are often overlooked.

Conclusion

Although the overall incidence of injuries is similar, female athletes face higher risks in specific types of injuries and require targeted prevention strategies. Key research challenges include the underrepresentation of women and the neglect of social gender factors. It is recommended to integrate both sex-based biological factors and gender-related social factors into sports injury prevention models to optimize practice. For nursing management, these findings highlight a pivotal role in mitigating injury risks. Nurse managers should champion educational programs on female-specific risks, lead the implementation of screening protocols, foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and advocate for research that addresses the gender gap in sports medicine.