Body Satisfaction, Performance Perception, and Weight Loss Behavior in Young Female Dancers

To understand the impact of body satisfaction and performance perception on intentional weight loss behavior and body mass index (BMI) in young female dancers.

Young female dancers who visited an injury prevention center were provided a questionnaire including three questions designed to elicit their body satisfaction, perception of weight toward performance, and any intentional weight loss behavior. Binary responses (yes/no) were compared between the three questions using chi-square analysis. Also, a binary logistic regression was performed to find an indicator for intentional weight loss behaviors. Finally, BMI was compared among subgroups.

Data from 43 young female dancers, aged 12-23 yrs, were analyzed. Dancers who were not happy with their weight were more likely to engage with intentional weight loss activity than dancers who were happy with their weight (p=0.002). Those who did not believe that their athletic activities were influenced by their weight were less likely engage with intentional weight loss and more likely to be happy with their weight than dancers who believed that athletic activities were influenced by their weight (p=0.049 and 0.015, respectively). Binary logistic regression indicated female dancers who were not happy with their body weight had nearly 9 times greater odds of intentional weight loss activity (p=0.029). There were no BMI differences among the three subgroups.

Intentional weight loss behavior is heavily influenced by body satisfaction in young female dancers regardless of their current BMI.