Abstract
Design: A retrospective mixed methods design was utilised.
Methods: Professional Australian Football League (AFL) players, injured during the 2015 season, were included in the study. Publicly accessible social media profiles for these players were identified on Twitter and Instagram. All posts published on verified profiles, from four weeks prior to injury until return to play, were extracted. Thematic analysis was used to investigate the content of these posts, while univariate and multivariate linear regression was used to investigate the frequency of posts during this time period.
Results: Two reoccurring themes were identified exclusively post-injury; ‘supporting team from the sideline’ and ‘sharing information about injury and rehabilitation’. The frequency of total posts did not differ significantly pre and post-injury, but the frequency of injury related posts increased in the immediate
post-injury phase, then decreased between 4–8 weeks and 8–12 weeks post-injury. The frequency of injury related posts was higher with more severe injuries.
Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest that injured players use social media to seek social support from their followers, especially in the immediate post-injury period and after sustaining a severe injury. The role of social media in injury rehabilitation may warrant further investigation, to determine if it could
be used to facilitate return to play.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 681-685 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport |
| Volume | 21 |
| Issue number | 7 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jul 2018 |
Keywords
- Athletic injuries
- Professional athlete
- Social medium
- Sports injuries
Cite this
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How do professional Australian Football League (AFL) players utilise social media during periods of injury? A mixed methods analysis. / Nankervis, Brodie; Ferguson, Laura; Gosling, Cameron; Storr, Michael; Ilic, Dragan; Young, Mark; Maloney, Stephen.
In: Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, Vol. 21, No. 7, 07.2018, p. 681-685.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
TY - JOUR
T1 - How do professional Australian Football League (AFL) players utilise social media during periods of injury? A mixed methods analysis
AU - Nankervis, Brodie
AU - Ferguson, Laura
AU - Gosling, Cameron
AU - Storr, Michael
AU - Ilic, Dragan
AU - Young, Mark
AU - Maloney, Stephen
PY - 2018/7
Y1 - 2018/7
N2 - Objectives: The objective of this study was to explore how social media is used by a population of injured professional athletes, by comparing the content and frequency of posts on social media, pre and postinjury.Design: A retrospective mixed methods design was utilised.Methods: Professional Australian Football League (AFL) players, injured during the 2015 season, were included in the study. Publicly accessible social media profiles for these players were identified on Twitter and Instagram. All posts published on verified profiles, from four weeks prior to injury until return to play, were extracted. Thematic analysis was used to investigate the content of these posts, while univariate and multivariate linear regression was used to investigate the frequency of posts during this time period.Results: Two reoccurring themes were identified exclusively post-injury; ‘supporting team from the sideline’ and ‘sharing information about injury and rehabilitation’. The frequency of total posts did not differ significantly pre and post-injury, but the frequency of injury related posts increased in the immediatepost-injury phase, then decreased between 4–8 weeks and 8–12 weeks post-injury. The frequency of injury related posts was higher with more severe injuries.Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest that injured players use social media to seek social support from their followers, especially in the immediate post-injury period and after sustaining a severe injury. The role of social media in injury rehabilitation may warrant further investigation, to determine if it couldbe used to facilitate return to play.
AB - Objectives: The objective of this study was to explore how social media is used by a population of injured professional athletes, by comparing the content and frequency of posts on social media, pre and postinjury.Design: A retrospective mixed methods design was utilised.Methods: Professional Australian Football League (AFL) players, injured during the 2015 season, were included in the study. Publicly accessible social media profiles for these players were identified on Twitter and Instagram. All posts published on verified profiles, from four weeks prior to injury until return to play, were extracted. Thematic analysis was used to investigate the content of these posts, while univariate and multivariate linear regression was used to investigate the frequency of posts during this time period.Results: Two reoccurring themes were identified exclusively post-injury; ‘supporting team from the sideline’ and ‘sharing information about injury and rehabilitation’. The frequency of total posts did not differ significantly pre and post-injury, but the frequency of injury related posts increased in the immediatepost-injury phase, then decreased between 4–8 weeks and 8–12 weeks post-injury. The frequency of injury related posts was higher with more severe injuries.Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest that injured players use social media to seek social support from their followers, especially in the immediate post-injury period and after sustaining a severe injury. The role of social media in injury rehabilitation may warrant further investigation, to determine if it couldbe used to facilitate return to play.
KW - Athletic injuries
KW - Instagram
KW - Professional athlete
KW - Social medium
KW - Sports injuries
KW - Twitter
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85035057342&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jsams.2017.10.034
DO - 10.1016/j.jsams.2017.10.034
M3 - Article
VL - 21
SP - 681
EP - 685
JO - Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport
JF - Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport
SN - 1440-2440
IS - 7
ER -