How Podium Analytics tracks public perceptions of sports injury

Challenge

Podium Analytics, a charity committed to reducing injury in youth and grassroots sport, wanted to understand the public perception, attitudes and behaviors relating to sports injury. In particular, it seeks to track views on key focus areas such as injury recording, concussion and mental health.

As Podium develops research-informed, real-world interventions and contributes to advocacy and policy development, understanding how awareness and attitudes shift over time is vital to measuring progress.

Solution

Using YouGov’s UK Omnibus, Podium runs an annual survey capturing representative national sentiment on sports injury. Since 2022, the study has provided a consistent snapshot of public opinion across the same core questions to establish longer-term trends, with the flexibility to explore emerging themes each year. YouGov data visualization platform, Crunch, enables in-depth analysis of trends across demographics – including age, gender and level of sports participation – revealing how perspectives differ amongst key groups. Every three years, Podium extends the research to 16–18-year-olds through our Youth Omnibus, allowing the charity to compare youth and adult attitudes and uncover generational alignment in perceptions.

Business outcomes

YouGov data underpins the annual Safety in Sport Perception Survey Report, which tracks how public perceptions evolve over time. The findings reveal gradual shifts in attitudes toward injury, concussion and mental health, alongside some consistent results year-on-year that validate public opinion. These insights affirm Podium’s current priorities, highlight research gaps, and help shape recommendations for action. The report also informs Podium’s advocacy work and collaboration with key stakeholders across sport, academia and government to strengthen safety and wellbeing at all levels of sport.

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