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The relationship of year group and sex on injury incidence and countermovement jump in adolescent ballet dancers: a cross-sectional analysis
Kolokythas, Nico Galloway, Shaun Allen, Nick
Kolokythas, Nico
Galloway, Shaun
Allen, Nick
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2022-06-15
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Abstract
Introduction: Pre-professional ballet training involves long training hours from an early age that could influence young dancers’ physical performance and injury incidence. This cross-sectional analysis investigated the relationship of year group and sex, with countermovement jump, and injury incidence (primary outcome) in adolescent ballet dancers at a pre-professional dance school. Method: Countermovement jump (CMJ) height was recorded at the start of the academic year on 179 participants (M=68, F=111) spread across eight year-groups. Injury aetiology and incidence was prospectively recorded over a six-month period (Sep - Feb) by the medical team using a time-loss definition. Results: Between-subject statistically significant differences were reported for sex (F=101.49; p<0.001), year group (F=12.57; p<0.001) and sex*year group (F=9.22; p<0.001). Mean CMJ across the year groups ranged between 24.7-41.3cm for males and 23.5-25.1cm for females. Injury incidence per dancer was 0.84 (CI:0.13,1.56) and injury incidence per 1000hrs dance was 1.94 (CI:1.63, 2.25). No statistically significant differences, between sexes or year groups, were reported for injury incidence per 1000 dance hours, and time-loss. Hours dancing was statistically significantly positively associated with CMJ (r=.481, p<0.05) and negatively associated with injury incidence (r=-.253, p<0.05) for males; for females it was positively associated with time loss (r=.254, p<0.05). Conclusion: Even though CMJ was cross-sectionally monitored, the expected increased physical abilities in males as they grew older and progressed through their training was observed. Females did not indicate similar increase in their physical ability, but they seemed to become more susceptible to injuries as they grow older. The lack of this speculative physiological development for the females may be associated with the ballet-only approach in their training. The use of CMJ as an injury screening tool may be limited, however, it could still be used as a tool to monitor physiological and fundamental motor skill development of adolescent dancers, as jumping is an integral part of ballet.
Citation
Kolokythas, N., Metsios, G.S., Galloway, S.., Allen, N. and Wyon, M.A. (2022) The relationship of year group and sex on injury incidence and countermovement jump in adolescent ballet dancers: a cross-sectional analysis. Journal of Dance Medicine and Science, 26(3), pp.155-164. DOI: https://doi.org/10.12678/1089-313X.091522b
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Journal article
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en
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This is an accepted manuscript of an article published by J. Michael Ryan Publishing Inc. in Journal of Dance Medicine & Science on 15/06/2022.
The accepted version of the publication may differ from the final published version.
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1089-313X