Perceptions of Mizo Professional Footballers on Injury Risk Factors, Preventive Measures and Management Strategies: A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: Injuries are common in professional football and can significantly affect player performance, team outcomes and career longevity. Mizoram, a state known for producing elite footballers, lacks region-specific research on injury perceptions and preventive strategies among its athletes. Aim: To assess the perceptions of Mizoram’s professional footballers regarding injury risk factors, injury history, preventive strategies and their effectiveness. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Mizoram, India, from January 2023 to March 2023. A structured questionnaire was administered to 43 male footballers aged 18-35 years from various leagues, including the Indian Super League (ISL), I-League and Mizoram Premier League (MPL). Data were analysed using IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Statistics, version 25.0, applying descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests, with a p-value of <0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 38 players (88.4%) reported injuries, primarily affecting the knees (n=25, 65.8%) and ankles (n=20, 52.6%). Major perceived causes included player contact (n=25, 65.79%), overtraining (n=22, 57.89%) and poor playing surfaces (n=20, 52.63%). While 35 players (81.4%) were aware of injury-prevention strategies, warm-up exercises (n=30, 69.77%) and stretching routines (n=25, 58.14%) were most commonly practiced. Barriers to implementation included lack of time (n=20, 46.5%) and lack of guidance (n=15, 34.9%). Most participants rated the strategies as moderately effective (n=18, 41.86%). Conclusion: This study highlights the high prevalence of lowerlimb injuries among Mizoram footballers and identifies key barriers to prevention strategies, underscoring the need to improve player education, infrastructure and the integration of structured prevention programs such as FIFA 11+ into daily practice.