Closing Pandora's Box: adapting a systems ergonomics methodology for better understanding the ecological complexity underpinning the development and prevention of running-related injury

摘要

The popularity of running as a form of exercise continues to increaserndramatically worldwide. Alongside this participation growth is thernburden of running-related injury (RRI). Over the past four decades,rntraditional scientific research applications have primarily attemptedrnto isolate discrete risk factors for RRI using observational studyrndesigns as commonly used in public health epidemiology.rnUnfortunately, only very few randomised controlled trials havernevaluated the efficacy associated with a well-specified RRIrnprevention intervention. Even though the knowledge about riskrnfactors as generated in observational studies is valuable for betterrnunderstanding why RRI develops, it nonetheless means that therernremains a major knowledge gap about how best to prevent it,rnespecially in a way that fully addresses all causal factors. Alongsidernthe continuing use of traditional scientific approaches, a particularrnsystems ergonomics methodology should also be considered inrnlight of its potential to visualise the complete distance runningrnsystem. This article adapts the Systems Theoretic Accident Mappingrnand Processes (STAMP) model to the RRI research preventionrncontext. The direct application of STAMP might offer newrnknowledge about how to prevent RRI, such as exposing questionsrnaround the feasibility of adopting novel injury preventionrninterventions that do not directly target runners themselves.