title: Body Mass Index and Menstrual Patterns in Dancers.
abstract: Questionnaires were distributed to investigate body mass index (BMI) and menstrual patterns in female dancers aged 12 to 17 years. The study cohort consisted of 105 dancers, mean age 14.8 ± 1.1 years, and mean BMI 19.5 ± 2.3 kg/m2. In all, 92% were healthy weight for height. First menses age ranged from 10 to 15 years (mean 12.9 ± 1.1 years). A total of 44% reported irregular menses; of those, 14% described irregularity as "every other month," 37% as "every 3 months," and 49% as "skips a month occasionally." A total of 36% of the dancers stop getting their menses during times of increased activity/dance, and 30% have gone >3 months at any time without getting their menses. A significant negative correlation between BMI and age of first menses was found with lower BMI associated with increased age of first menses (linear regression, β = -0.49, P = .021). This study supports an association between BMI and age of menarche among young female dancers. Given bone health reliance on hormonal milieu in female dancers, future research is warranted.
authors.affiliation: 1 The Micheli Center for Sports Injury Prevention, Waltham, MA, USA.|2 Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.|3 Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stracciolini
authors.affiliation: 1 The Micheli Center for Sports Injury Prevention, Waltham, MA, USA.|2 Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.|3 Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Bridget J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Quinn
authors.affiliation: 1 The Micheli Center for Sports Injury Prevention, Waltham, MA, USA.|2 Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.|3 Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Geminiani
authors.affiliation: 4 Boston Conservatory, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kinney
authors.affiliation: 4 Boston Conservatory, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Tara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: McCrystal
authors.affiliation: 5 Walnut Hill School for the Arts, Natick, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Owen
authors.affiliation: 1 The Micheli Center for Sports Injury Prevention, Waltham, MA, USA.|2 Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Pepin
authors.affiliation: 1 The Micheli Center for Sports Injury Prevention, Waltham, MA, USA.|2 Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.|3 Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Cynthia J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Stein
keywords: adolescent health; dancer; menses; oligomenorrhea; puberty