Imagem corporal e comportamentos para transtornos alimentares em bailarinas: uma visão comparativa com desportistas em academias e sedentárias

Abstract

Ballet dancers are a risk group for changes in body image (BI) and the development of eating disorders (ED) due to the strict demands on physical performance. This study aimed to evaluate if female adult non-professional ballet dancers present different BI perception and behaviors for ED when compared to gym users and sedentary women. This was an observational and comparative study, involving 19 participants in each group, conducted from August 2016 to June 2018. Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated, body fat percentage (%BF) and bone mineral density (BMD) were analyzed by dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). The Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ) and the Figure Rating Scale (FRS) were applied to assess BI. The Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26), directed to anorexia nervosa and the Bulimic Investigatory Test, Edinburgh (BITE), focused on bulimia nervosa behaviors, were used. In ballet dancers, BMI and %BF were significantly lower (20.9 Kg/m2 and 29.8%) when compared to gym users (22.1 Kg/m2 e 32.9 %) and sedentary women (23.2 Kg/m2 e 38.6 %), one-way ANOVA, p < 0.05. Total body bone mineral density (BMD) was within the expected limits for age, not differing between groups, with an average of 0.4 (0.8) Z-scores. The BSQ score did not differ between the studied groups. The presence of BI distortion assessed by the FRS did not differ between groups (p = 0.460) and was present in 75.0% of the ballet dancers, 87.5% of gyms users and 89.5% of sedentary women. BI dissatisfaction was lower among ballet dancers (75.0%) and gym users (70.6%), when compared to sedentary women (100.0%). Correspondence analysis showed that the ballet dancers were the closest group to not worried about BI. The EAT-26 score did not differ between the studied groups, while the BITE score was significantly lower (Tukey post-test, p = 0.005) in ballet dancers [5.3 (5.6)] when compared to sedentary women [10.9 (4.8)]. BMI and % BF showed a positive correlation with the BSQ score in the ballet dancers (BMI: r2 = 0.657, p = 0.002; %BF: r2 = 0.574, p = 0.010). In gym users, the %BF presented a negative correlation with the EAT-26 score (r2 = - 0.571, p = 0.013). In sedentary women, BMI was positively correlated with the BSQ score (r2 = 0.653, p = 0.002) and EAT-26 score (r2 = 0.462, p = 0.047), and the %BF was positively correlated with the BSQ score (r2 = 0.524, p = 0.026). Data showed the ballet dancers presented similar BI satisfaction to gym users and less dissatisfaction than the sedentary women, fewer behaviors for bulimia, and less BI concern when compared to the other studied groups. BI distortion and behaviors for anorexia did not differ between the studied groups. BMI and % BF were positively correlated with BI in the ballet dancers and sedentary women groups.