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Rethinking Injury Prevention Program Design: Should Interventions Be One-Size-Fits-All, Individualized, or Somewhere in Between? A Narrative Review
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Rethinking Injury Prevention Program Design: Should Interventions Be One-Size-Fits-All, Individualized, or Somewhere in Between? A Narrative Review

Travis Pollen and Max Kunz
Strength and conditioning journal, Forthcoming
2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1519/SSC.0000000000000980

Abstract

neuromuscular warm-up program design risk reduction risk stratification screening Injury Prevention
All athletes should engage in injury prevention programs (IPPs). However, real-world constraints prevent targeted prevention for every possible injury and require prioritization based on sport-specific injury burden, athlete-specific risk, or a combination thereof. Accordingly, IPPs are commonly designed in 1 of 3 ways. Generic IPPs apply a one-size-fits-all approach to reduce the risk of the most burdensome injuries in a sport. Individualized IPPs are tailored to athletes' unique risk profiles, often identified through injury histories and preparticipation screening. Hybrid IPPs include a mix of generic and individualized components. Despite evidence for all 3 approaches, it remains unclear which offers the optimal balance of effectiveness and practicality under real-world constraints. To guide IPP design, this narrative review explores the advantages and disadvantages of each approach. Generic IPPs are broad-reaching and well-supported but may not address individual athletes' needs. They are a simple, viable option when development and delivery resources are limited. Individualized IPPs are targeted but resource-intensive to develop and deliver. Hybrid IPPs balance broad reach with personalization. There is a critical need for intervention research comparing the real-world impact of the 3 approaches. Ultimately, the best-fitting IPP depends on contextual factors such as time, staffing, buy-in, and practicality of preparticipation screening.

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