Introduction

Sports injuries can limit a person's ability to participate in sports activities, resulting in negative impacts on their overall health and wellbeing, as well as increasing the burden on the healthcare system. Despite the significance of sports injuries, limited national data is available to inform the design and evaluation of injury prevention and management programs.

To address this gap, the National Sports Injury Data Asset (NSIDA) is being developed to provide a better understanding of sports injuries. The National Sports Injury Data Strategy (“the strategy”) outlines the plan for establishing the NSIDA, leveraging existing data sources and overcoming challenges in collecting and reporting injury data.

A draft version of this strategy (AIHW 2022) included a review of the data landscape and was put for public consultation in 2022. This final strategy incorporates the consultation feedback (AIHW 2023) and focuses on the approach for improving national sports injury data. The lead-up to the Brisbane 2032 Olympics and recent government initiatives in injury prevention create a favourable opportunity for investment in the development of the NSIDA.