Eating Attitudes and Anthropometric Indices of Adult Women in Performance Dance: A Case‐Control Study in Greece

Objective Dancers are at an increased risk of developing eating disorders and health issues. The aim of this case‐control study was to compare dietary intake, anthropometric indices and eating attitudes of adult professional dancers to their age‐ and sex‐matched non‐dancer females. 170 females (cases: n = 68, controls: n = 102) were voluntarily enroled. Methods Anthropometric, dietary characteristics and eating attitudes were derived through standard procedures. Eating Attitudes Test (EAT‐26) and Eating Disorder Examination‐Questionnaire (EDE‐Q) were used to assess eating attitudes. Results Female dancers were more likely to have better body composition including body weight, handgrip strength and muscle mass, p < 0.05, as compared to non‐dancer females. Besides, dancers had lower energy and fat intake but higher protein intake, as well as higher intake of several micronutrients (i.e., beta‐carotene, vitamin D, B6, biotin, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese) but lower intake of iron and zinc ( p < 0.05) compared to non‐dancers. After adjustments, dancers had 5% higher score on EDE‐Q‐Restraint, but non‐dancers had higher eating concerns when energy intake was taken into consideration ( b = 0.61 ± 0.29, p = 0.038). Conclusions It is imperative to establish strategies to prevent eating disorders in dancers who exhibit restrictive behaviours and minimise the anxiety that women experience regarding food by establishing new social norms.