If you often head to the nearest trampoline park when your kids start bouncing off the walls at home, a recent study might give you second thoughts.
Kids who get their jump on at trampoline parks are more likely to suffer a serious injury and require hospital admission than those who use trampolines at home, according to a study published June 13 in the journal Injury Prevention.
Greater public awareness of the potential dangers and mandatory safety standards for trampoline centers is needed to reduce the risk of injury, according to the authors.
The first trampoline park opened its doors in 2004, and the recreation centers quickly gained popularity around the world, according to a Los Angeles Times article about the state of the industry. By 2019, the global trampoline park industry was worth $1.4 billion and was expected to more than double that figure by 2023. Then the pandemic happened.
An estimated 100 locations in the United States shuttered during COVID-19, but trampoline parks appear to be bouncing back. Many centers are reporting that crowds are returning as more people are willing to gather inside.
Although the trampoline industry has developed safety standards designed to curb potential hazards associated with the manufacture, assembly, maintenance, and use of trampolines, the rate of trampoline injuries has stayed about the same over the last couple of decades — they account for nearly 100,000 emergency room visits by children every year in the United States, according to the authors.
How the Study Was Conducted
The study used data from 11 studies that were conducted in seven countries, including the United States, for a total of nearly 13.9 million trampoline injuries. Investigators sorted the data to uncover what types of injuries were most common, the ages of the children who sustained different types of injuries, and whether the injuries occurred at a home trampoline or at a trampoline park.
The observational studies used were not designed to uncover the “why” behind the results, but the authors did propose potential causes for some of their key findings.
- Children who were injured at trampoline parks tended to be older than those who used trampolines at home. The investigators proposed that this was because older children and teens were more likely to engage in risky jumping behavior at the centers.
- There was no difference in the risk of head, face, or trunk injuries, dislocated joints, broken bones, or spinal injuries between home and park jumping.
- Leg injuries, sprains, and injuries that required surgery were more common at trampoline parks, possibly because of structural differences in the mats used at home trampolines versus those at the park, said the authors.
- Kids using trampoline centers were more than two times more likely to sustain orthopedic and musculoskeletal injuries than kids using a home trampoline. Leg injuries were three times more common.
- There was no difference in the risk of hospital admission after a trampoline injury at either location, but the need for surgery was nearly twice as high for injuries sustained at a trampoline park. “This may relate to the fact that trampoline centers have larger trampolines that can propel children higher and with greater force than smaller home trampolines,” says a coauthor of the study, Guy Eslick, DrPH, PhD, a professor and researcher at the University of Sydney.
- There were fewer arm injuries, cuts, and concussions in children using trampoline parks compared with home users. That reduced risk could be due to the wall-to-wall gymnastics-grade protective padding that’s used to cover exposed structures and spring mechanisms, according to the authors.
The Need for Raised Awareness and Safety Standards
These findings highlight the need for greater public awareness of the potential dangers and mandatory safety standards for trampoline centers, the researchers wrote.
Consumers need to know that each center may have different rules and regulations, says Dr. Eslick. “Key things to make sure of would include the level of supervision, the number of children allowed on each trampoline, and are children of different ages, genders, and sizes allowed on the same trampoline,” he says.
The enforcement of these safety precautions can reduce the likelihood of injury, says Eslick. “We reported that most injuries occurred during unsupervised trampoline sessions.”
According to a report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), small children are 14 times more likely to get hurt than bigger children, and 75 percent of all trampoline injuries occur when multiple kids are jumping at one time.
This study isn’t the first to find park jumping more dangerous than home trampolines. Research presented at the AAP's 2019 National Conference and Exhibition found it was 32 percent more likely that a child’s trampoline-related bone fracture occurred at a recreation facility or gym rather than on a trampoline in a backyard or attached to someone’s home.
The organization recommends that trampolines not be used except by athletes who are being supervised in training for a sport like diving or gymnastics.
Tips on How to Reduce the Risk of Injury When Using a Trampoline
Although the Cleveland Clinic advises against playing on any trampolines, regardless of whether they are at a business or a backyard, they offer safety tips for how to reduce injuries.
- Allow only one person to jump at a time.
- Install a safety net around the outside of the trampoline.
- Make sure there are no uncovered springs sticking out.
- The trampoline should be kept on level ground.
- Do not allow somersaults or flips.
- Children should be supervised by adults at all times.
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Serious Injuries in Children More Likely to Occur at Trampoline Parks, Not on Home Trampolines - Everyday Health
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