Health Characteristics of Competitive Collegiate Dancers

Background: Few studies have examined characteristics that may affect the health and performance of collegiate dancers. Objectives: This study examined health characteristics of collegiate dancers, particularly disordered eating, menstrual dysfunction, injury occurrence, and urogenital distress. Study Design: Cross-sectional design. Methods: Forty-one female collegiate dancers (age: 20.1 ± 1.5 y; body mass index: 23.2 ± 2.7) completed the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire and a questionnaire inquiring about their prior injury occurrence, menstrual history, and urogenital distress. The dancers' height and weight were measured to calculate body mass index. Results: Twenty (48.8%) of the forty-one collegiate dancers reported a prior lower extremity injury during the past year, with 7 (17.1%) sustaining a stress fracture. Fourteen (34.1%) dancers were classified as having disordered eating. Six (14.6%) dancers were classified as having menstrual dysfunction in the past year. While only 13 (31.7%) reported at least 1 urogenital distress occurrence during dancing, 32 (78%) dancers reported at least 1 urogenital distress occurrence during nondance activities. Conclusion: These findings indicated that collegiate dancers had a high prevalence of disordered eating and related pathogenic behaviors. The results also indicated that dancers sustained a high lower extremity injury occurrence during the past year and experienced greater urogenital distress occurrence during nondance activities.