Benjamin Peterson

Introduction: Recreational running enhances both mental and physical health. However, the high incidence of running related injury (RRI) is a key barrier to participation. Previous research has attempted to establish the risk factors for RRI, with the most well-established being previous injury and training errors. However, previous reductionist approaches for mitigating RRI risk factors have been largely unsuccessful, with interventions primarily focusing on isolated factors and not considering runners’ perceptions and experiences. Methods: We used an interpretive phenomenological analysis framework, qualitative data collection via focus groups, and reflexive thematic analysis to develop an understanding of the perceptions and experiences of female recreational runners in relation to RRI. Eleven female recreational runners were recruited across three focus groups to investigate participants’ perspectives and experiences relating to RRI risk, prevention, management, and health seeking behaviours. Each focus group was analysed using a six-phase reflexive thematic analysis approach to identify underlying themes. Results: Five interconnected themes (‘The Run’, ‘The Runner’, ‘The Injury’, ‘The Networks’, and ‘The Gear’) were identified as having an influence on whether a runner can remain injury-free, and the management of RRI. Analysis of runners’ perspectives and experiences cumulated in the development of the Perceptual RRI Risk, Prevention, and Management Nexus model. Conclusion: The female recreational runners interviewed particularly relied on informed self-regulation with guidance of past advice and previous experiences to manage RRI and identify RRI risk. The runners perceived modifiable and non-modifiable RRI risk factors should be considered when developing future injury prevention programs for runners like them.

Background: There is growing research evidence related to musculoskeletal and sports podiatry published by Australian researchers. This short report presents data from the musculoskeletal and sports podiatry stream of a national bibliometric review which aimed to map all Australian podiatry‐related research from 1970 to 2024. Methods: A systematic search of the literature was conducted via Scopus until December 2024. Studies were screened for eligibility using Covidence. Study meta‐data was analysed using Biblioshiny to describe publications volume, authors, institutions, journals, and research collaborations. Via manual processes, each publication was categorised for: level of evidence using National Health and Medical Research Council criteria; research type using the United Kingdom Clinical Research Collaboration Health Research Classification System; and funding source, using Higher Education Research Data Collection specifications. Results: The search strategy yielded 288 records published by 774 authors (19% international), with a total 12,593 citations, with 44.1 mean citations per article from 1991 to 2024 were included. A total of 65 articles (23%) were categorised as level I evidence. The British Journal of Sports Medicine and the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport were equally the most frequent publication sources, publishing 23 (8%) articles respectively. Podiatry‐related musculoskeletal and sports research is usually undertaken without dedicated funding (67%). The majority of published articles focussed on the evaluation of treatments and therapeutic interventions (36%) and on the aetiology of conditions (34%). Conclusion: The musculoskeletal and sports podiatry stream was the most widely researched, with the highest proportion of level I evidence among all streams of the national bibliometric review. Given the high burden of disease and adverse impacts on activities of daily living associated with musculoskeletal conditions, further attention in preventative care and the promotion of wellbeing in sports and musculoskeletal research would be beneficial.

Background: Approximately one‐third of the adult population is affected by hallux valgus (HV). Surgical interventions are successful in reducing deformity; however, postoperative complications are common. There is growing evidence for prehabilitation and rehabilitation strategies in orthopaedic surgeries. However, the effectiveness of such strategies in HV surgery is currently unknown. This systematic review aimed to synthesise and determine the quality of evidence for the effectiveness of physical and mechanical prehabilitation and postoperative rehabilitation interventions for improving outcomes following HV surgery.Methods: Electronic databases: MEDLINE, Cochrane, CINAHL, Scopus, EMBASE and AMED were searched from inception until 19th May 2025, following the PRISMA guidelines. Randomised controlled trials were included to determine the effectiveness of preoperative and postoperative physical and mechanical therapies for improving outcomes in adults undergoing HV surgery. The evidence from individual studies was narratively synthesised, and data were not pooled because of the heterogeneity of interventions, methods and outcomes measures.Results: A total of 8166 titles and abstracts were screened, and 66 full‐text papers were reviewed. Five studies met the eligibility criteria and were included in this review. No randomised controlled trials examined the effectiveness of eligible preoperative physical or mechanical interventions. Postoperative early weight‐bearing, dynamic metatarsal splinting and transcutaneous ultrasound appeared to improve patient outcomes, whereas rigid‐soled footwear improved patient satisfaction.Conclusion: There is currently no evidence to support the effectiveness of preoperative physical and mechanical interventions for improving outcomes in HV surgery, and limited evidence supports postoperative interventions. Future trials should consider incorporating validated outcome measures.

This study assessed the feasibility of Sleepfit, an app-based sleep intervention for shiftworkers, to evaluate participant reach, engagement, and interaction. The RE-AIM framework guided the feasibility assessment. Participants from various shiftwork industries (e.g. healthcare, mining) completed a 14-day trial of the Sleepfit app, alongside baseline and post-intervention surveys. Descriptive statistics were used to evaluate participant enjoyment and engagement, including daily app usage and the number of activities completed. Among the 110 enrolled shiftworkers, 53 (48%) completed post-intervention assessments, and 34 (30.9%) adhered to the full study protocol. Of those who completed baseline surveys, 85.4% downloaded and used Sleepfit, engaging with an average of 17.3% of available activities, with shiftwork-specific modules like "Coping with Shiftwork" showing the highest engagement. Participants cited lack of time, inconvenience, and losing interest as reasons for discontinuing app use. This study indicates the potential feasibility of app-based interventions like Sleepfit to improve shiftworkers' sleep health through tailored, relevant content. Future studies should consider longer durations and larger samples, incorporating wearable technology to enhance data accuracy and assess sustained effects across varied shift schedules.

This review aimed to synthesise the methods for assessing and reporting footwear characteristics among studies evaluating the effect of footwear on running biomechanics. Electronic searches of Scopus®, EBSCO, PubMed®, ScienceDirect®, and Web of Science® were performed to identify original research articles of the effect of running footwear on running biomechanics published from 1^st January 2015 to 7^th October 2020. Risk of bias among included studies was not assessed. Results were presented via narrative synthesis. Eligible studies compared the effect of two or more footwear conditions in adult runners on a biomechanical parameter. Eighty-seven articles were included and data from 242 individual footwear were extracted. Predominantly, studies reported footwear taxonomy (i.e., classification) and manufacturer information, however omitted detail regarding the technical specifications of running footwear and did not use validated footwear reporting tools. There is inconsistency among contemporary studies in the methods by which footwear characteristics are assessed and reported. These findings point towards a need for consensus regarding the reporting of these characteristics within biomechanical studies to facilitate the conduct of systematic reviews and meta-analyses pertaining to the effect of running footwear on running biomechanics.

Objective: Recreational running is one of the most common physical leisure activities worldwide and is associated with high rates of running related injury (RRI). Little is known of the perceptions of male recreational runners regarding the aetiology and management of RRI. Design: Utilising an interpretive phenomenological analysis framework, qualitative data was gathered from participants via interview, and reflexive thematic analysis was used to develop insights into the experiences and perceptions of the participants in relation to RRI. Materials and methods: Two focus groups with a total of six (mean age 37.8 ± 9.5 years, 16.5 ± 13.1 years running experience) male recreational runners were used to obtain data regarding their understanding of RRI causation, prevention and management. Interviews were evaluated using a six-phase reflexive thematic analysis approach to generate and interpret themes within the data. Results: Three themes (Mind, Body and Education) were identified by the analysis as critical to RRI avoidance. Mind refers to the self-understanding and self-management of personal limits required for RRI prevention. Body reflects a degree of physical conditioning necessary for injury free running, while Education indicates an understanding of how to correctly structure a running program. When viewed together these themes can be seen to form an ‘internal locus of injury’ model which highlights the runners’ beliefs that RRI are related to their decisions regarding training and running, and that avoidance of injury lies within their personal control. Conclusion: Recreational runners rely on self-management, in preference to professional advice, to manage training loads, fitness and RRI. Health care professionals involved with this population may consider the use of online resources, a preferred option of runners, to assist runners to build their knowledge base and support their development to experienced runners.

The primary objective of this systematic review was to synthesise peer-reviewed quantitative research of outcomes associated with participation in parkrun. The secondary objective was to synthesise the quantitative research of factors influencing why, and how often, individuals participate in parkrun. Studies were identified via electronic search of Medline, AMED, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Informit, PsychInfo, SportDiscus, and Web of Science, to 30 March 2021. Two reviewers independently assessed methodological quality. Eleven studies (18,203 participants) were included. Limited evidence from pre-post measure single-group prospective studies suggests parkrun participation promotes improvements in fitness, body mass index, physical activity levels, mood, and personal wellbeing. Individuals with non-running backgrounds generally had higher levels of participation. The main motivators to participate were to improve fitness and social interaction. Future attendance was most strongly correlated with historical attendance. There is a small evidence base for improvements in broad measures of physical and mental health from participation in parkrun. In addition, the study found improving physical fitness and social wellbeing were the main self-reported factors for participation in parkrun. Further research is needed to strengthen the knowledge base of the effects of parkrun to determine its efficacy as a health intervention strategy for physical and mental health.

Background: Running-related injury (RRI) is highly prevalent among recreational runners and is a key barrier to participation. Atypical lower limb alignment and mechanical function have been proposed to play a role in development of lower extremity injury. The purpose of this study was to investigate relationships between incidence of running-related injury (RRI) in non-elite runners with biomechanical and musculoskeletal variables. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies. Published research indexed in MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, AMED, and The Cochrane library until 13th January 2021, grey literature, and reference lists of included studies were screened to identify prospective studies of non-elite adult runners that measured a relationship between biomechanical or musculoskeletal measures and incidence of RRI. Results: Thirty studies (3404 runners), testing over 100 discrete biomechanical and musculoskeletal risk factors for RRI, were included. Nineteen studies were pooled in twenty-five separate meta-analyses. Meta-analysis of four studies detected significantly less knee extension strength among runners who developed a RRI (SMD − 0.19, 95% CI − 0.36 to − 0.02, p = 0.03), though this may not be clinically important. A meta-analysis of two studies detected significantly lower hip adduction velocity among runners who developed a RRI (MD − 12.80, 95% CI − 25.22 to − 0.38, p = 0.04). Remaining meta-analyses found no significant relationship between biomechanical or musculoskeletal variables and RRI. Conclusion: This systematic review and meta-analysis found the currently available literature does not generally support biomechanical or musculoskeletal measures as risk factors for RRI in non-elite runners. While meta-analysis findings for knee extension strength and hip adduction velocity as risk factors for RRI were statistically significant, the associated trivial to small effects sizes suggest these findings should be treated with caution. Until further evidence emerges, recommendations for injury prevention in non-elite runners cannot be made based on biomechanical and musculoskeletal measurements alone.