@article{ref1,
title="Differences in the occurrence and characteristics of injuries between full-time and part-time dancers",
journal="BMJ open sport and exercise medicine",
year="2018",
author="Vassallo, Amy Jo and Pappas, Evangelos and Stamatakis, Emmanuel and Hiller, Claire E.",
volume="4",
number="1",
pages="e000324-e000324",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Professional dancers are at significant risk of injury due to the physical demands of their career. Despite their high numbers, the experience of injury in freelance or part-time dancers is not well understood. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the occurrence and characteristics of injury in part-time compared with full-time Australian professional dancers. <br><br>METHODS: Data were collected using a cross-sectional survey distributed to employees of small and large dance companies and freelance dancers in Australia. Statistical comparisons between full-time and part-time dancer demographics, dance training, injury prevalence and characteristics were made using χ<sup>2</sup>, two-tailed Fisher's exact tests, independent t-tests and Mann-Whitney U tests. <br><br>RESULTS: A total of 89 full-time and 57 part-time dancers were included for analysis. A higher proportion of full-time dancers (79.8%) than part-time dancers (63.2%) experienced an injury that impacted on their ability to dance in the past 12 months (p=0.035). Injuries characteristics were similar between groups with fatigue being the most cited contributing factor. Part-time dancers took longer to seek treatment while a higher proportion of full-time dancers were unable to dance in any capacity following their injury. <br><br>CONCLUSION: More full-time dancers sustained an injury in the past 12 months, and were unable to dance in any capacity following their injury. However injuries still commonly occurred in part-time dancers without necessarily a large volume of dance activity. Part-time dancers often access general community clinicians for treatment, who may need additional education to practically advise on appropriate return to dance.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="2055-7647",
doi="10.1136/bmjsem-2017-000324",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjsem-2017-000324"
}