Injuries in Ballroom DanceSport: A Retrospective Study on Prevalence and Relation With Demographic Data.

Background: DanceSport is a variant of Ballroom dancing, a style that is performed as a couple dancing together. Although there are many participants worldwide, the amount of research on injuries done in this style of dancing is limited.

Objective: The aim of this study was obtaining information about the DanceSport Athletes in the Netherlands including anthropometrics, level, frequency and duration of dance training per week. Our second objective was to investigate injury prevalence and type of injuries.

Study design: Retrospective questionnaire study.

Methods: All 816 registered active dancers within the Dutch DanceSport Association received an online questionnaire with questions on anthropometrics, level of dancing, frequency and duration of dance training, and questions on injuries. The Chi-Square test was used to calculate differences between categorical variables.

Results: A total of 218 dancers (33.7%) completed the questionnaire, 107 males (49.1%), and 111 females (50.9%). The mean age for men was 42 ± 15.9 and 36 ± 15.1 for women. 176 dancers (80.7%) reported 1 or more injuries. Foot, ankle, and lower leg injuries were reported most frequently, 49 males (45.8%), and 60 females (54.1%). No significant difference was found in the total number of injuries for the variables sex (P = .761) and discipline (P = .225). Significantly more head and neck injuries were identified in female Standard dancers (P < .001) compared to male dancers. Also, Standard dancers have more back injuries compared to dancers in both disciplines (P < .009).

Conclusion: With the described anthropometrics and an 80% lifetime prevalence of injuries, this group can be compared to other dance forms. Significant differences in injuries of the head and neck for female Standard dancers compared to male dancers and significantly more back injuries in Standard dancers compared to dancers in both disciplines were found. Future studies need to translate and validate existing questionnaires in Dutch for use in this population.