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Affiliation
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Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute for Child and Maternal Health, Department of Pediatrics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada. |
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Abstract
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Study Design Cohort study. Background Multiple operational definitions of injury exist in dance research. The influence that these different injury definitions have on epidemiological estimations of injury burden among dancers warrants investigation.
OBJECTIVE To describe the influence of injury definition on injury prevalence, incidence, and severity in pre-professional ballet and contemporary dancers.
METHODS Dancers registered in full-time pre-professional ballet [n=85, 77 females, median age 15-years (range 11-19)] and contemporary [n=60, 58 females, median age 19-years (range 17-30)] training completed weekly online questionnaires (modified Oslo Sports Trauma Research Centre's Questionnaire on Health Problems) using three injury definitions: (1) time-loss (unable to complete ≥1 class/rehearsal/performance ≥1 day(s) beyond onset); (2) medical attention; (3) any complaint. Physical therapists completed injury report forms, capturing dance-related medical attention and time-loss injuries. Percent agreement between injury registration methods was estimated. Injury prevalence [IP; seasonal proportion of dancers injured (95% confidence interval (CI))], incidence rates (IR; count of new injuries/1000 dance exposure hours), and severity (total days lost) were examined across each definition, registration method, and dance style.
RESULTS Questionnaire response rate was 99%. Agreement between registration methods ranged between 59% (time-loss) and 74% (injury location). Depending on definition, registration, and dance style, IP ranged between 9.4% (95%CI 4.1-17.7; time-loss) and 82.4% (72.5-89.8; complaint), IR between 0.1 (0.03-0.2; time-loss) and 4.9 (4.1-5.8; complaint) injuries/1000 dance hours, and days lost between 111-588 days.
CONCLUSIONS Time-loss and medical attention injury definitions underestimate the injury burden in pre-professional dancers. Accordingly, injury surveillance methodologies should consider more inclusive injury definitions. Level of Evidence Level 2b evidence. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther, Epub 13 Dec 2017. doi:10.2519/jospt.2018.7542.
Language: en |