Oral Traumas and Mouthguard Use in Amateur Rugby Players in France: A Cross-Sectional Epidemiological Study.

BACKGROUND/AIM: To assess the current prevalence of oral injuries and explore athletes' attitudes towards mouthguard use among rugby players in amateur clubs affiliated with the French Rugby Federation.

MATERIEL AND

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted during the 2021-2022 season across all amateur clubs, which were invited to participate. In October 2021, an email was sent to registered players aged U14 and above, who were invited to voluntarily complete an electronic questionnaire provided by the French Rugby Federation. Descriptive analyses and logistic regression models were used to identify factors associated with oral injuries and non-compliance with mouthguard usage.

RESULTS

Of 116,231 registered players contacted by email, a total of 6708 players participated, predominantly men (84%), most of whom were in the senior category (45%) and played at the regional club level (46%). Several factors were associated with an increased risk of injury, including male sex (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 1.52), participation in the senior category (AOR: 2.84), wearing fixed orthodontic appliances (AOR: 1.39), and having witnessed player trauma (AOR: 3.78). Factors associated with a higher likelihood of non-adherence to mouthguard use included male sex (AOR: 1.48), participation in the senior category (AOR: 2.34), and playing at the regional club level (AOR: 1.24).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings provide valuable insight into the burden of oral trauma in amateur rugby and highlight the need for targeted interventions to promote consistent mouthguard use among players.