Injuries during the physiological growth phase can not only compromise the development of sports skills, but also impair the physical development expected for their age group. Adaptive mechanisms to training are the main determinants of the prevalence and location of injuries, traumas and musculoskeletal complaints. Despite advances in research on the performance and health of para-athletes, there is still a significant gap in knowledge about the epidemiology of sports injuries in young para-athletes, leaving aside the particularities of the young population, which has distinct physical and psychological characteristics, which makes it difficult to create preventive protocols and appropriate treatment strategies.

Identify and characterize the profile of para-athletes participating in the competition and analyze the occurrence of sports injuries in para-athletes during the 2023 School Paralympics.

This is an observational, descriptive and analytical study designed according to the recommendations of the STROBE protocol (Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology). The study was developed during the national stage of the 2023 edition of the Brazilian School Paralympics. The inclusion criteria were students of both sexes with physical, visual and intellectual disabilities, aged between 11 and 18 years, regularly enrolled in the school they were representing and attending elementary, high school or special education in public or private schools. The participating para-athletes were recruited at the Brazilian Paralympic Training Center at two different times: on competition days during the moments preceding their events (first stage) and at the end of the para-athletes' participation in the championship (second stage). Two questionnaires were used as data collection instruments: the general data questionnaire for participants, applied in the first stage, and the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center - Questionnaire on Health Problems (OSTRC-BR), applied in the second stage. All questionnaires were applied in person, in an individual interview and during the sporting event.

The sample consisted of 640 para-athletes, 253 (60.5%) female and 387 (60.5%) male, with a mean age of 14.06 years. 41 (14.9%) of the participants reported injuries/illnesses, and the team with the highest percentage of injured members was from the state of Tocantins (14.8%). Most of the injured athletes had intellectual disabilities (41.46%), practiced athletics (56.9%) and were in the final years of elementary school (21.95%), with a mean age of 14.56 years, and the majority were male (56.86%).

A significant difference was observed in the occurrence of injuries between young people who had been practicing sports for more than 2 years and those who were just beginning their sports career. It is suggested that future studies explore each sport modality, the types of disabilities and the amateur or professional profiles of the participants in more specific ways, reducing biases and obstacles in parasports research.

This pioneering study fills a gap in knowledge about the profile of young para-athletes and raises a reflection for teams that monitor para-athletes, highlighting the essential role of physiotherapy in preventing and treating injuries and in improving sports performance in a safe manner.