The Prevalence of Inguinal Hernia Among Athletes in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction An inguinal hernia is the most common type of hernia. It might manifest as a groin bulge, lump, or enlarged scrotum. Swelling may be uncomfortable and painful and even cause intestinal obstruction. This study aimed to measure the prevalence of inguinal hernia among athletes in Saudi Arabia. Subject and methods This is a cross-sectional study conducted among Saudi Arabian athletes. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed among athletes using an online survey through different Saudi Olympic Training and Fitness Centers throughout the kingdom. The questionnaire includes sociodemographic characteristics (i.e. age, gender, etc.), risk factors, and complications of inguinal hernia. Results Of the 594 athletes, 55.6% were females and 57.6% were aged between 18 and 24 years. The most common type of sport was running (31%). The most common risk factor for inguinal hernia was previous abdominal surgery (57.5%). The prevalence of inguinal hernia among Saudi athletes was 12.3%. Being older in age and being male were the independent significant predictors associated with increased risk for inguinal hernia, whereas weightlifting was the independent significant factor of decreased risk for inguinal hernia. Conclusion The prevalence of inguinal hernia among athletes was 12.3%. Older male athletes were most likely at a greater risk to suffer from inguinal hernia as compared to the rest of the athletes. Further research is needed to extract more data about the prevalence of inguinal hernia among Saudi Arabian athletes and determine its risk factors.