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Body image and self-esteem in adolescent ballet dancers
N Bettle1, O Bettle, U Neumärker
1Department of Neurology, University of California San Diego, USA.
Perceptual and Motor Skills
|November 6, 2001
Summary
Adolescent female ballet dancers report poorer body image and self-esteem compared to peers. Interventions to boost self-esteem may help prevent eating disorders in dancers.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sports Science
- Eating Disorder Research
Background:
- Body image disturbances and low self-esteem are linked to eating disorder development.
- Adolescent ballet dancers may face unique psychological challenges due to intense physical scrutiny.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate self-perception of body and personality in adolescent ballet dancers.
- To compare these perceptions with non-dancer controls.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional survey design.
- Utilized two semantic differential questionnaires: 'my body right now' and 'my personality right now'.
- Participants included 90 ballet school students and 156 controls (ages 11-17).
Main Results:
- Adolescent female dancers (13-17) reported higher Undesirability and Sensitivity (personality) and Unattractiveness (body) than controls.
- Female dancers scored higher on personality subscales than male dancers.
- Male dancers showed no significant differences from controls, except for lower Body Mass index.
Conclusions:
- Adolescent female ballet dancers exhibit a distinct, less favorable self-perception profile regarding body and personality.
- Enhancing self-esteem may be a crucial preventive strategy for psychopathology in this population.