Quality of Life Measures in Young Pre-Professional Dancers Compared to Non-Athletes and Non-Dancer Athletes

Aim: To investigate quality of life (QoL) measures in a cohort of young female dancers. Methods: Cross-sectional survey study design was utilized to study dancers 8 to 17 years enrolled in two elite dance schools in the Boston area. The main outcome measure was the Pediatric Quality of Life (PedsQL 4.0) questionnaire, a validated QoL survey for children, with established normative values for comparison. Demographics and questions pertaining to training regimens and injury/illness history were also included. Sub-groups (8-11 years, 12-14 years, and 15-17 years) were created to analyze outcomes by age. Results: One hundred and forty emails were delivered, 72 were completed and included in the final data analysis (51.4%). The median scores for physical, psychosocial, emotional, social, and school PedsQL sub-scales were 87.5, 90.0, 80.0, 100.0, and 92.5, respectively. The median score of the total PedsQL scores was 88.8. No difference in QoL outcomes by age group was found (physical: P = .328; psychosocial: P = .918; emotional: P = .673; social: P = .573; school: P = 0.962; total: P = 0.766). 52.5% of the participants responded that they regularly perform in shows. Median hours/week of dance rehearsal was 10 hours (mean ± standard deviation: 10.3 ± 4.9; 95% CI: 9.0, 11.6; IQR: 7.0, 13.5; range: 2.0, 20.0) and 68.9% reported they practice and rehearse throughout the entire calendar year as opposed to solely during the school year; most dancers reported participating in dance 11 months (median value) per year (mean ± standard deviation: 10.7 ± 0.8; 95% CI: 10.5, 11.0; IQR: 10.0, 11.0; range: 9.0, 12.0). Conclusion: QoL measures for young female dancers were higher relative to existing data for the general population and lower compared to other sports participation. These results will support the social, emotional, and physical health of young dancers.