INTRODUCTION: Football plays very important role in modern days and in our lives. It affects our health habits and reduces stress. Football has always been most represented and most popular sport among youngsters and the older population around the world. But is it really that healthy? Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the health status of Football players in Bosnia and how it affects different genders and age groups. METHODS: Research was conducted at the Institute for Sport and

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... ccupational Medicine in Banja Luka, Bosnia in time period of one year. Total number of 917 Professional Football players took part in this study. All players were members of the premier league teams. Both males and females athletes were examined through systematic examination and medical records check out and diagnosis were classified using ICD-10 (10th revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems) system. RESULTS: In the observed period total number of 917 athletes were examined, 875 (95,4%) males and 42 (4,6%) females and subdivided according to their ages. A total number of 281 (30,6%) were younger than 15 years of age. Interesting was that there were no major differences in diagnoses between generations. Only 35 (3,8%) total athletes were healthy. 570 (62,1%) were diagnosed with two or three diseases and 36 (4,7%) had even more than four diagnoses. Both sexes were equally diagnosed with injuries and illnesses of muscular tissue and of the digestive system as well as cardiovascular problems. Males had more frequent diagnoses of dental diseases, vision problems, birth deformities and injuries of the musculature system. Females suffer more commonly from anemia and foot deformity. Obesity was diagnosed with 63 (6,8%) athletes, predominantly females. CONCLUSION: This study has proven that Football is not as it seems. Its fun but doing it professionally carries a lot of health risk with it. Differences in diagnosis have proven that intensity of activity with males is bigger [...]