Disordered eating, amenorrhea, and substance use and misuse among professional ballet dancers: Preliminary analysis

Abstract

Background: Substance use and misuse (SUM), eating disorders (ED) and consequent amenorrhea (AM) occur frequently in professional ballet dancing. The objective of this study has been to explore the prevalence and association between ED, AM and SUM in ballet. Material and Methods: The sample comprised 21 ballet dancers, 23.1±4.5 years old, members of the professional National Ballet Ensemble from Croatia. Variables were collected by questionnaires examining SUM, occurrence of amenorrhea, and corresponding ballet-specific and socio-demographic factors (Questionnaire on Substance Use -QSU) and the level of ED (Brief Eating Disorder in Athletes Questionnaire -BEDA-Q). Results: Smoking is prevalent in 40% of dancers (25% smoke on a daily basis), 36% often use analgesics, and 25% engage in binge drinking at least once a month. Smoking and binge drinking are less frequent in ballerinas with a higher academic level (r = 0.60 and r = 0.54 for binge drinking and smoking, respectively; p < 0.05). Alcohol drinking is higher among dancers who consume analgesics more often and those with a higher BEDA-Q score (r = 0.53 and r = 0.54 for analgesics and BEDA-Q, respectively; p < 0.05). Amenorrhea is more prevalent among those dancers with a higher BEDA-Q score. Women who consume nutritional supplements are less likely to use analgesics (Mann Whitney U test = 2.11; p < 0.05). Conclusions: Efforts seeking to prevent ED in ballet should target dancers who consume alcohol to a greater extent. Future studies should specifically explore the less frequent consumption of analgesics among dancers who consume nutritional supplements. Med Pr 2016;67(1):21-27

Knowledge and Use of Nutritional Supplements in Different Dance Disciplines

“…Research by Perić, Zenić, Sekulić, Kondrič, & Zaletel (2016) showed that, due to high volume and strenuous training, professional ballet dancers achieved a relatively high prevalence of nutritional supplementation (almost 2/3), which is in line with some other studies (Zenić, Perić, Zubcević, Ostojić, & Ostojić, 2010). It is likely that the need for supplements is greater in professional dance and full-day training and rehearsal than among amateur dancers in our study.…”

Assessment of body composition and nutritional risks in young ballet dancers – the bioelectrical impedance analysis

“…Because of this essential prerequisite, the dancers have to maintain a low-calories diet (which may significantly influence their future health, especially in the case of women) in order to achieve and maintain a desired, low body weight. These altered eating habits mainly mean a reduced consumption of particular products; this can determine a failure to provide the body with a sufficient amount of nutrients [17,18]. In addition, sometimes such diets are not prescribed by an expert and can become dangerous for health, especially when they may lead to destructive behaviors, eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia), menstrual disturbances and low bone mineral density [19].…”

Does Participation in Sports Influence the Prevalence of and Initiation into Multiple Substance Misuse in Adolescence? A Two-Year Prospective Analysis

“…The prevalence of smoking is regularly lower in adolescents who practice sports, but some groups of athletes (e.g., adolescents involved in sports where a lean body figure is an important determinant of success, females, and adolescents who quit sports) were found to be at risk of smoking [24,25]. In addition, in some regions where smoking is prevalent and socially accepted, no specific influence of sports participation on smoking prevalence in adolescents was observed [8,26,27].…”

“…In brief, participation in team sports was repeatedly associated with higher likelihood of alcohol drinking (because of the post-sport social gatherings) [32]. On the other hand, athletes involved in some individual sports were often at risk of smoking (i.e., in some aesthetic sports athletes are concerned on body weight, because smoking increases basal metabolism) [24,25]. Other facets of sports participation that are found as being specifically related to substance misuse in puberty include experience, level of sport competition (i.e., sport achievement), and intensity of training (i.e., commitment to sport), altogether highlighting the necessity for more profound studying of the problem [7,27,31].…”